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Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

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Triage <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chemical</strong> Casualtiesentrance. <strong>The</strong>se “decon triage” teams provide retriageand basic treatment including airway management,additional administration <strong>of</strong> antidote, and perhapsmore invasive medical intervention.On the clean side <strong>of</strong> the decontamination shelter isanother typical bottleneck as patients await transportfrom the incident scene to more definitive treatmentfacilities. Here, medical personnel are not encumberedwith personal protective equipment and are able toevaluate patients in an uncontaminated environment.More invasive medical intervention is possible withoutconcern for further contaminating the patient. Abalance among condition, transport times, medicalresources, and interventional requirements must besought in the prioritization and triage <strong>of</strong> the patients.In incidents conducted in a noncombat situation, suchas might occur on an installation during peacetime,first responders adhere to federal statutes for trainingqualifications. 8A somewhat similar scenario occurs at the MTF(see Figure 14–12). At the MTF, training requirementsare governed by different regulations than those forthe incident site. For example, current OccupationalSafety and Health Administration guidelines require8 hours <strong>of</strong> hazardous waste operations and emergencyresponse (HAZWOPER) first responder operationslevel training for first receivers who are expectedto decontaminate victims or handle victims beforethey are thoroughly decontaminated at the MTF. <strong>The</strong>guidelines include additional criteria for the personalprotective equipment levels recommended (level C),no more than a 10-minute time period from patientexposure at the incident site to presentation to theMTF, and a thorough hazard vulnerability assessmentto identify specific threats or hazards that might driveadditional requirements. Additionally, the hazardouszones are recognized as different from those atthe decontamination incident site, referred to as the“warm (contamination reduction) zone” and “cold(postdecontamination) zone” (see Figure 14-12). At<strong>Chemical</strong> Incident Site SetupFirst Responder FlowCasualty FlowTriage and Treatment GroupsWater SourceWaste WaterWater HeaterCasualtyCollectionPointDeconTriage<strong>Medical</strong> Triage& Treatment<strong>Chemical</strong>Incident SiteHot ZoneCoordinatorInitialFire Dept/EMSHot ZoneAssembly AreaFirst ResponderDecon LaneIncidentCommandPostColdZoneStagingAreaEntry/ExitControlPointHot (Exclusion)ZoneWarm(ContaminationReduction)ZoneReconstitution <strong>of</strong>supplies/equipmentand personnelWindDownslopeEMSHospitalEMS Transport GroupEmergency OperationsCenter (EOC)Cold (Support)ZoneFig. 15-1. National site setup and control zones for a hazardous materials site. All distances are notional.EMS: emergency medical serviceDiagram: Courtesy <strong>of</strong> Commander Duane Caneva, US Navy.515

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