Assessment of the Capacity and Capability of Burn Centers to Respond to Burn Disasters in Belgium: A Mixed-Method Study

Abstract

Burn disaster is defined as a massive influx of patients that exceeds a burn center’s capacity and capability. This study investigates the capacity and capability of burn centers to respond to burn disasters in the Belgian ground. Quantitative survey and qualitative semistructured interview questionnaires were administered directly to key informants of burn centers. The data collected from both methods were compared to get a more in-depth overview of the issue. Quantitative data were converted into a narrative to enrich the qualitative data and included in the thematic analysis. Finally, data from both methods were analyzed and organized into five themes. The Belgian Association of Burn Injury (BABI) has a specific prehospital plan for burn disaster management. Once the BABI Plan is activated, all burn centers respond as one entity. Burn Team (B-Team) is a professional team that is formed in case of urgent need and it is deployed to a scene or to nonburn specialized hospitals to help in disaster relief. The challenges for burn disasters response occur particularly in the area of triage, transfer, communication, funding, and training. We conclude that there is a variation in the capacity and capability of burn centers. Overall, the system of burn disaster management is advanced and it is comparable to other high-income countries. Nevertheless, further improvement in the areas of preparation, triage, communication, and finally training would make disaster response more resilient in the future. Therefore, there is still space for further improvement of the management of burn disasters in Belgium.

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

“…13,21,40,41,47,68,75,82,91,93,105,110,118,119,121,125,131 Planning, Policy, and Procedures Local planning, policies, and procedures, or a collective MCI plan, provides the framework to activate and deactivate MCI response and guide response activities. 13,22,27,32,33,39,40,53,55,58,59,69,71,74,82,89,91,93,93,94,98,110,111,117,118,120,[132][133][134] Following local standard operating procedures (SOP) and predetermined policies and protocols, next steps include clear role identification, delegation of responsibilities, record-keeping, patient triage, clinical care delivery, resource allocation, maintaining stockpiles of essential equipment and supplies, information flow, victim identification, and routine communication with staff, media and families.…”

“…13,22,27,32,33,39,40,53,55,58,59,69,71,74,82,89,91,93,93,94,98,110,111,117,118,120,[132][133][134] Following local standard operating procedures (SOP) and predetermined policies and protocols, next steps include clear role identification, delegation of responsibilities, record-keeping, patient triage, clinical care delivery, resource allocation, maintaining stockpiles of essential equipment and supplies, information flow, victim identification, and routine communication with staff, media and families. 13,27,33,34,39,40,46,53,58,67,69,71,74,82,89,93,94,98,110,111,…”

“…23,75,82,100,101,103,105,108,112,120,125,131,151,160,174,180,181,187 When determining appropriate and timely patient distribution, the distance to the nearest facility, type of injuries sustained, special patient needs (eg, pediatrics, burns), and the capabilities of the receiving hospital should be considered, as well as an emphasis of managing families as best as possible. 21,23,27,29,30,33,36,37,39,47,[53][54][55]60,67,73,91,95,98,100,102,103,111,117,120,123,124,128,132,134,138,…”

“…Financial resources, largely determined by the fiscal budget of the city government, determine the extent at which MCI response activities can be operationalized in an effective and timely manner. 20,27,29,44,87,89,96,104,124,126,130,132,151 Recognizing that there are many competing priorities for municipal funds, local government officials should perform annual hazard analyses to allocate resources corresponding to level of risk. 20,27,32,44,55,100,104,110,124,126,130,132,143,147,165…”

“…20,27,29,44,87,89,96,104,124,126,130,132,151 Recognizing that there are many competing priorities for municipal funds, local government officials should perform annual hazard analyses to allocate resources corresponding to level of risk. 20,27,32,44,55,100,104,110,124,126,130,132,143,147,165…”