Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
b. Notify ED Chairman.
c. Notify Poison Control—obtaining avail-
able product information to decontaminate
and care for patient(s), when available.
d. Notify critical care pharmacist with
product information for anticipated anti-
dote. Obtain inventory of available anti-
dotes.
e. Determine appropriate level of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) for Decon
Team.
f. Assign MD and/or PA to Decon Team.
g. Direct 1-2 personnel to set up decon area
and 1-2 persons to assist decon team with
dress out procedures
E. Security
a. Secure entrances and exits to the ED.
b. Assist with traffic and crowd control
around the ED
c. Will be responsible for maintaining
“chain of custody” of personal belongings
of patients undergoing decontamination.
These items will NOT be individu-
ally cataloged, but rather placed in red
biohazard plastic bags that will be tagged,
numbered, and recorded.
A. Decon room preparation technician shall be
assigned to:
a. Remove all non-essential and non-
disposable equipment and items from
established Hazmat/Decon wash room.
b. Activate drain switch to contain runoff, if
available.
c. Obtain decon cart with necessary stocked
items.
d. Obtain crash cart and place contiguous to
Decon wash room.
e. Place D or E size O
2
tank with regulator.
f. Place clean stretcher in Hazmat/Decon
wash room with additional O
2
tank, BVM,
and non-rebreather mask.
g. Place stretcher outside of decon room
on plastic ground cloth to receive non-
ambulatory patient from ambulance.
h. Place bucket for soiled items used in wash
room for technical decon.
i. Placed lined trash baskets in decon area
for Biowaste.
j. Place Personal Decon Kits (PDK) in decon
area.
B. Mass decontamination setup
In the event that the chemical expo-
sure incident involves more than three people
requiring decontamination simultaneously, or
incident information suggests the arrival of
large numbers of patients requiring decontam-
ination as a result of a mass exposure, the
preparation for mass decontamination should
commence.
The following materials have been iden-
tified as basic prerequisites for Mass Decon-
tamination set up and preparation:
a. A hose bib splitter for each bib within
100 feet (within range) of the proposed
decontamination area.
b. Two 100-foot hoses for each hose bib
within range of the proposed decontami-
nation area.
c. Four (2 sets) sawhorses to hold litter
bound patients within the decontamination
area and set of C-clamps.
d. Two backpack sprayers per facility.
e. Two baby pools per facility.
Decontamination
Purpose
To remove or neutralize harmful materials that
have gathered on personnel and/or equipment and
to prevent secondary contamination to healthcare
workers and the facility. Decontamination is a
systematic process that is determined by the nature
and degree of contamination. Effective decontam-
ination consists of making the patient as clean as
possible, meaning that the contamination has been
reduced to a level that is no longer a threat to the
patient or healthcare provider.
Decon Setup
In a “traditional” HAZMAT incident involving
known exposure to chemical agents involving less
than three patients simultaneously, consideration
can be given to using the existing Emergency
Department Decontamination Room, if available.
