Imagine a 20 kiloton nuclear device is detonated in Chicago. While the explosion kills and seriously injures thousands, hundreds of others suffer from radiation overexposure that, if not treated, could prove fatal. They are flown to special hospitals throughout the country that have been selected to evaluate and treat these patients. HUP is one of them.
To ensure that these patients receive the best possible responses, each of these hospitals – all members of the national Radiation Injury Treatment Network (RITN) – must run annual exercises. This past June, HUP ran its first full-scale joint exercise – with CHOP – to simulate the necessary preparations for receiving patients.
The exercise started when 20 “patients” arrived from the radiation disaster with various degrees of radiation exposure. They entered the hospital through a special portal that screened for radiation. First responders also used hand-held devices to examine them head to toe, verifying that none of the victims were radioactive. Then, doctors from Hematology/Oncology evaluated each patient and developed individualized plans of care. According to Nick Pinizzotto, associate director in Emergency Management and Safety Programs, while people exposed to excessive radiation may not be radioactive, “depending on the amount of radiation exposure, their bone marrow might begin to fail and they’ll require a bone marrow transplant or other supportive blood care to survive.”
The drill also helped those in HUP’s Command Center practice the support mechanisms necessary to facilitate that patient care. In addition to staff from Hematology/Oncology, representatives from the ER, Admissions, Pharmacy, and others worked together to help make this drill happen.
Over 40 volunteers acted as simulated patients to lend reality and insight to the process. “The drill gave hospitals significant learning opportunities and takeaways,” Pinizzotto said, “making us more resilient in the event of a radiological disaster.”