Civilian hospital response to a mass casualty event: the role of the intensive care unit.

Background: We studied the response of the Shaare Zedek Medical Center (SZMC) in Jerusalem, Israel, to terrorist multiple- or mass-casualty events (TMCEs) that occurred between 1983 and 2004, to document the role of the intensive care unit (ICU) in this response.

Methods: The SZMC Disaster Plan was reviewed in detail. Hospital and ICU records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients presenting to SZMC between 1983 and 2004 after a TMCE. Data were coded for age, sex, injuries, length of stay, and mortality.

Results: Eight hundred seventy-five patients presented to SZMC after 31 TMCEs. The number of patients presenting ranged from 1 to 84 with an average of 28 patients per TMCE. Forty-one (4.7%) of the patients were admitted to the ICU. The age of the ICU patients ranged from 4 to 80 with an average of 30.9 years. Twenty-nine (70%) of the patients had blast lung injury, 3 (7%) had intestinal blast injury, and 30 (73%) had ruptured tympanic membranes. Forty-two surgical procedures were performed in 23 patients. Thirty (73%) patients required mechanical ventilation. One patient (2.4%) died of multiple organ failure caused by a delay in diagnosis of intestinal blast injury.

Conclusion: Of the patients presenting to SZMC after TMCE, 4.7% required ICU care. Seventy-three percent of the ICU patients required mechanical ventilation. The ICU plays a critical role in the SZMC response to TMCEs.