A Scoping Review of the Essential Components of Emergency Medical Response Systems for Mass Casualty Incidents

Abstract

Objective: Emergency medical (EM) response systems require extensive coordination, particularly during mass casualty incidents (MCIs). The recognition of preparedness gaps and contextual priorities to MCI response capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can be better understood through the components of EM reponse systems. This study aims to delineate essential components and provide a framework for effective emergency medical response to MCIs. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using 4 databases. Title and abstract screening was followed by full-text review. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes pertaining to the essential components and integration of EM response systems. Results: Of 20,456 screened citations, 181 articles were included in the analysis. Seven major and 40 sub-themes emerged from the content analysis as the essential components and supportive elements of MCI medical response. The essential components of MCI response were integrated into a framework demonstrating interrelated connections between essential and supportive elements. Conclusions: Definitions of essential components of EM response to MCIs vary considerably. Most literature pertaining to MCI response originates from high income countries with far fewer reports from LMICs. Integration of essential components is needed in different geopolitical and economic contexts to ensure an effective MCI emergency medical response.

Field Triage Tools in Mass Casualty Incidents: A Narrative Review

“…Efficient triage systems reduce unnecessary delays in treatment for critically ill patients while ensuring that less severe cases receive appropriate care without overwhelming healthcare facilities. Studies evaluating resource utilization and operational outcomes associated with different triage systems provide insights into optimizing resource allocation strategies and enhancing overall system efficiency during crisis situations [4,7,13].…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an MCI as "an event characterized by a number of casualties that exceeds the local healthcare system's available resources, requiring extraordinary measures for medical management [1][2][3]." MCIs can vary in scale and complexity, ranging from localized incidents with dozens of casualties to large-scale disasters affecting hundreds or thousands of individuals [4].…”

Enhancing a Willingness to Respond to Disasters and Public Health Emergencies Among Health Care Workers, Using mHealth Intervention: A Multidisciplinary Approach

“…A shortage of HCWs in EDs has not only adversely affected public health emergencies such as COVID-19 recently, but also has significantly impacted care delivery in mass casualty incidents and weather emergencies. 14,[38][39][40] In Pakistan, the EDs serve as a safety net for patients who in the absence of an effective primary health care system, seek emergency rooms care with communicable diseases, complications of chronic health conditions, and complications of pregnancy and labor. 16 In all circumstances, ED-based HCWs play a very important role in and are potentially exposed to a variety of high-stress situations, including everyday life-threatening emergencies, mass casualty incidents, and disaster response.…”