Mass. doctor on how hospitals plan for mass casualty events
Updated: 6:26 PM EDT Jul 4, 2022
WE WANT TO BRING DR. ALI RAJA IN TO THE CONVERSATION. HE’S THE DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. HATE TO BE TALKING ABOUT TO YOU ABOUT THIS DR. RAJA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. JESSICA: DOZENS OF NEIGHBORHOOD FIREWORKS AND PARADES, SIMILAR TO THE ONE PLANNED IN HIGHLAND PARK, ARE HAPPENING TODAY IN MASSACHUSETTS. ARE LOCAL HOSPITALS TYPICALLY NOTIFIED ABOUT LARGE, COMMUNITY EVENTS IN ADVANCE? >> WE ARE. DURING THAT RECENT U.S. OPEN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EVENT COORDINATORRERS WORKED WITH ALL THE LOCAL HOSPITALS TO HAVE A PLAN IN CASE THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PATIENTS. TODAY WITH THE FIREWORKS ON THE ESPLANADE, THEY ARE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MGH. WE LOT OF DISASTER PLANS IN PLACE. EVERYBODY WORKING IN THE ER TODAY HAS BEEN REMINDED OF IT. ERIKA: YOU AND YOUR STAFF TRAIN FOR THESE TYPES OF MASS CASUALTY EVENTS. SO WHEN THE CALL COMES INTO THE E.R. THAT MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SHOT, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW? >> THERE’S A NUMBER OF THING THAT GO THROUGH OUR MINDS WHEN THAT HAPPENS. WE NEED KNOW THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS. WE NEED TO KNOW THEIR APPROXIMATE AGES. MASS GENERAL WE HAVE PEDIATRIC AND ADULT TRAUMA TEAM. IF THERE’S TIME, WE CAN GET QUITE BIT OF INFORMATION FROM AMAZING EMS COLLEAGUES. WE CAN BE REALLY PREPARED. SOMETIMES WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR MUCH OF A HEADS UP. EITHER WAY, WE’RE READY. JESSICA: WE NOW KNOW THAT MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PEOPLE WERE RUSHED TO LOCAL HOSPITALS WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT TRIAGE PROCESS WORKS? >> OF COURSE. EACH STATE HAS ITS OWN PROTOCOLS FOR MULTIPLE CASUALTY INCIDENTS. I DON’T KNOW HOW ILLINOIS WORK, HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, WE HAVE FOUR COLOR TRIAGE SYSTEM. RED, YELLOW, GREEN AND BLACK. RED PATIENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE SEVERELY INJURED AND NEED IMMEDIATE CARE. WE FOCUS ON THEM FIRST AND WORK OUR WAY DOWN THE GROUP AS WE GET MORE RESOURCES AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL. ERIKA: UNFORTUNATELY, MASS SHOOTINGS ARE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN IN THE U.S., AND YET, WHAT CAN PEOPLE LEARN? >> I’M AN INSTRUCTOR. FOR THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEON STOP THE BLEED PROGRAM. WE TRAINED ALMOST TWO MILLION PEOPLE PATIENTS TO YOU TO STOP BLEEDING PATIENTS. THAT COURSE, ALONG WITH WITH THE CPR COURSE, THERE’S SKILLS EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE. ANYBODY WATCHING THIS CAN GO TO STOPTHEBLEED.ORG AND FIND A COURSE NEAR YOU
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Mass. doctor on how hospitals plan for mass casualty events
Updated: 6:26 PM EDT Jul 4, 2022
Mass. General’s Dr. Ali Raja gives insight into how hospitals coordinate with big events ahead of time, and how mass casualty incidents are handled in emergency rooms.
Mass. General’s Dr. Ali Raja gives insight into how hospitals coordinate with big events ahead of time, and how mass casualty incidents are handled in emergency rooms.
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