Medical response in a nuclear or radiological emergency

MEDICAL RESPONSE IN NUCLEAR OR RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY 85 INTERVENIR SUR LE LIEU DE L’ÉVÉNEMENT SHEET ACTION TO TAKE IN A 1ST LINE HEALTHCARE FACILITY Preparing the premises, rehabilitating them and managing the waste The transfer to a healthcare facility, reception and treatment of the victims of a radiological or nuclear (RN) accident can lead to the transfer of radioactive contamination to the personnel and the infrastructure of the facility, and to the production of radioactive waste. Such a situation is severely aggravated if there is a massive and more or less well controlled influx of victims, including non-decontaminated victims. The 1st line healthcare facilities must prepare themselves to cope with such situations. Responders • Healthcare facility personnel and radiation protection experts + The 1st line healthcare facilities have a structured full decontamination capability. They are capable of ensuring the medical care of a non-decontaminated Extreme Urgency (EU) patient. 29 Preparing for the reception of victims • At the entrance to the area dedicated to the external reception of victims. For self-presenting non-decontaminated persons, this reception area may be situated before the Hospital Decontamination Unit (HDU). • This secretariat enters the relevant information in the victim tracking information system (SI-VIC) and in the Hospital Information System (HIS). Set up an SI-VIC secretariat 1 • Room with separate entry and exit doors to establish a direction of movement. • Room that is easy to decontaminate: the floor and if possible the walls are covered with vinyl sheeting; as many of the fittings as possible (radiators, pipes, etc.) are protected with vinyl sheeting. If a different entrance to the conventional A & E entrance can be used, that entrance shall be used in priority. Reserve a room for reception and undressing 2 ENTRY Example: The ambulance reception area or the accident & emergency waiting room could be assigned to this function. • The non-contaminated victims (after being checked) must not pass through a “dirty” zone. • A specially fitted out corridor provides direct access to the “clean” treatment zone. Set up a route for non-contaminated victims 3

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