Abstract text (incl. references and figure legends)
Introduction
Doctrine of a burn disaster management is mostly organised and planned by military – sanitary authorities and civil disaster health care services. Regarding a disaster fire/burn plan, a Burn centre must be able, by a law, to admit a group of fire/burn victims 24 hours a day. There is no exact consensus how many patients could be hospitalised. If a Burn centre seems to be overloaded, some triaged victims must be transported to other burn units. Nearly every five years we come across with a burned group hospitalisation and the last one is analysed.
Material & Methods
Six burned patients were admitted to a Ljubljana Burn centre due to a dust explosion in a tyre factory. In emergency ward they where triaged as 1 outpatient burn, 3 minor burns and 2 big burns. At start, they had been transported by ambulances of an urgent medical care service. By a rescue scheme it was still a micro level. There was no need for extra additional emergency support. One patient was directed to a clinics, 5 of them were admitted to a Burn centre department. Two patients with major burns were intubated and transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU). Three minor burn patients had entered parallely a department through a non-ICU, where they were treated by a surgeon.
Results
It must be stressed, that a double-lane enter of victims had shortened a time of acceptance. There was a successful cooperation of a plastic surgeon and anesthesiologists. In surgical working process a plastic surgeon on call was mobilised for wound toileting and getting patients ready for surgery next day. Some ward and scrub nurses were mobilised for additional help. Next day a primary surgery of major burns was done, while minor burns were operated in the next five days. All burned victims survived.
Conclusions
Burn centre must be ready for a group burn disaster. Outer vertical communication and inner horizontal action must be guaranteed with full responsibility and self sacrifice of a staff.
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