Tsunami: response to a disaster.

On December 26, 2004, a devastating earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean very near to Sumatra's coast. The Belgian Association for Pediatrics assembled a medical team of 30 volunteers from 4 hospitals to assist with disaster relief. They traveled to Indonesia, set up a rudimentary care facility, and worked with teams from many countries. In a disaster situation, critically ill children who require mechanical ventilation and inotropic support, perish for lack of equipment or adequate follow-up care. Disaster teams are told to focus on surgery, infected wounds, dehydration, and oral rehydration. This article tells one story of disaster relief efforts and proposes an established team of pediatricians to respond to disaster situations in the future.