A group of specialists gathered at the National Congress of Surgery, convened by the Asociación Española de Cirugía (AEC), has underlined the urgency of having revised and operational hospital response plans for catastrophes, carrying out drills on a regular basis, and strengthening coordination between emergency services and health teams to optimize the response to incidents with a major impact, such as the recent Urda (Toledo) rail accident.
The experts emphasized that hospital catastrophe plans cannot be limited to simple theoretical documents, but must be known by all the services involved, consider various possible scenarios, and be subjected to regular drills to verify their real effectiveness.
Along the same lines, they explained that, in situations of this kind, catastrophe plans act as a basic guide to begin organizing care response in a context of uncertainty. However, they stressed that these protocols must be flexible enough to adapt quickly to the evolution of events and changing patient needs.
Another of the session’s key areas was triage, the procedure used to classify the injured according to the severity of their injuries and the level of urgency with which they require care. The specialists emphasized that this prioritization must be carried out both at the scene and upon arrival at the hospital, since a patient’s clinical condition can change significantly during transport.
In this regard, they recalled that a person who is initially stable can experience a significant deterioration in just about thirty minutes, which makes a new assessment necessary before deciding on the most appropriate care pathway.
Similarly, they highlighted that hospital triage should preferably be performed at the emergency department entrance, before patients enter the service. This organization makes it possible to quickly identify those who need immediate surgical care, refer them to the appropriate resources, and reduce the risk that a massive arrival of the injured could lead to the collapse of the facilities.
Coordination and organization of health teams
The way to organize healthcare personnel has been another of the key points analyzed during the session. The participants have indicated that, in a disaster scenario, the experience of professionals is crucial not only in direct care of the injured, but also when it comes to coordinating teams and efficiently managing the available resources.
In certain situations, the surgeon with the most experience can assume a central role in planning operating room activity and in supervising care decisions, rather than intervening directly in a specific operation.
The specialists have insisted that the distribution of responsibilities must be adjusted to the characteristics of each center, to the number of professionals on standby, and to the specific magnitude of the emergency.
As they point out, this capacity for adaptation is essential because a disaster can occur at any time of the day, when the availability of operating rooms, of personnel, and of other resources can vary significantly.
To conclude, the Asociación Española de Cirugía has emphasized the need to continue promoting specific training, planning, and the exchange of experiences among healthcare professionals in order to improve care for victims in future emergency situations.