• Danielle Fuchko, Kathryn King-Shier, and Vincent Gabriel.
• Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: danielle.fuchko@albertahealthservices.ca.
• Burns. 2024 Jun 1; 50 (5): 112811371128-1137.

AbstractBurn mass casualty incident (BMCI) preparedness is lacking across Canada. A focused exploration of the current policies, protocols and practices in Alberta that address the response to a BMCI was conducted. In this case study, data were gathered from documents outlining the health system response to a mass casualty incident and health care professionals directly involved. Interviews were conducted online, recorded and transcribed. Qualitative description was used to code common themes across documents and transcripts. Fifteen documents and nine participant interviews were included in this study. Overall, the current policies, protocols and practices in place were limited to all-hazards mass casualty incident planning and did not address the specialized needs of burn patients. Deficiencies included no burn-specific plan at each of the two burn centres, a lack of provincial-level recognition of the unique challenges associated with a BMCI and no established Canadian burn disaster communication plan. Suggestions of strategies for a burn plan included forward triage, patient movement, use of telemedicine, partnering skilled and non-skilled staff, and procuring additional supplies. For best patient outcomes the provincial health authority needs to provide dedicated time for burn care experts to develop BMCI response plans to better address this unique hazard.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Burns Injuries. All rights reserved.

16 keywords...

hide…