Content provided in partnership with

Health Care Industry

Emergency preparedness—Is your OR ready?

AORN Journal, June, 2004 by John E. Eiland, Donna A. Pritchard, Darlena A. Stevens

Emergency situations are a constant threat to the everyday challenges faced by US health care facilities. Only recently have these emergency situations included terrorist threats, such as radiation, biological and chemical attacks, bombings, and other major catastrophes. As a result, the importance of emergency preparedness in clinical practice settings has increased.

Perioperative services is a key component of a facility's emergency preparedness plan. The versatility of perioperative areas and the skills of perioperative staff members support many aspects of an emergency response plan. (1) Is your perioperative service ready to respond to a major disaster?

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

After the terrorists acts of Sept 11, 2001, heath care facilities nationwide reviewed their emergency preparedness plans and updated them as needed. The experiences of the hospitals supporting recent terrorist disaster areas have resulted in facilities enhancing their decontamination units, increasing supplies of medications used to counteract biological and chemical agents, immunizing first responders for smallpox, and strengthening disaster training programs for employees. Although almost three years have passed since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, health care facilities, including perioperative services, must not become complacent. The threat of an emergency situation is always present.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN

A facility's emergency preparedness plan should be general but include specific responses to the types of disasters that might occur. All disasters can be categorized as either natural (eg, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes) or man-made (eg, warfare, riots, chemical or biological attacks). An organization's emergency preparedness plan might provide for a variety of natural and man-made disasters based on the facility's location and the likelihood of specific types of disasters occurring there. (2)

JOINT COMMISSION STANDARDS

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) modified its disaster preparedness standards in January 2001 to address the concepts of emergency management and community involvement in the process. The changes to the standards require accredited organizations to take an "all hazards" approach to disaster planning that reviews and analyzes all hazards that are seen as credible and serious threats to the community. (3)

After the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, JCAHO further modified its disaster preparedness standards to require health care organizations to communicate and coordinate with each other in the event of a disaster. This modification became effective Jan 1, 2003. (3)

The Joint Commission defines an emergency as

a natural or man-made event that suddenly or significantly disrupts the environment of care; disrupts care and treatment; or changes or increases demands for the organization's services. (3)

The Joint Commission's emergency preparedness standards require that health care facilities participate in at least one emergency drill per year, preferably one that is community wide. Additionally, they must address four phases of disaster management--mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. (3)

MITIGATION. Mitigation activities involve identifying potential emergencies that may affect a facility's operations or the demand for its services and implementing a plan to support areas in the organization that may be vulnerable. As a result, mitigation activities can reduce the severity and effects of a disaster. (3) Perioperative mitigation activities include developing policies and procedures that address potential emergencies that could occur in or around a facility. These could include policies on response to internal disasters, such as fire or power outage; external disasters, such as multi-injury vehicle accidents or multiple victims of a terrorist attack; or a chemical, biological or radiation accident.

PREPAREDNESS. Preparedness activities develop the organization's ability to manage the effects of an emergency. (3) Perioperative preparedness activities include written plans for staffing, obtaining supplies, triaging of patients, and other activities related to the specific emergency needs.

RESPONSE. Response activities are designed to control the negative effects of an emergency situation. (3) Perioperative response activities include participation in disaster drills, tabletop discussions of potential emergency events, and periodic review of the emergency preparedness plan by perioperative staff members.

RECOVERY. Recovery actions are aimed at restoring essential services and resuming normal operations of the facility. They begin almost simultaneously with response activities. (3) Perioperative recovery activities include the rescheduling of surgical procedures cancelled during the emergency, replenishing supplies, and ensuring a return to a surgical environment, if this was affected by the emergency situation.

In evaluating an organization's emergency preparedness, JCAHO surveyors assess the following during an on-site visit:

Health Care Industry

Emergency preparedness—Is your OR ready?

AORN Journal, June, 2004 by John E. Eiland, Donna A. Pritchard, Darlena A. Stevens

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Reference

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health