Prehospital Management of Explosions: Scope of the Problem and Operational Considerations

Abstract

Emergency medical service (EMS) providers responding to blast incidents need to consider specific operational aspects of their response. Operational risk management should be a priority to reduce the potential harm to other first responders. Secondary explosive devices designed to injure first responders at the scene of an initial blast must always be considered. Additional threats embedded within a blast device, such as radioactive or other hazardous materials, should also be considered early in the response. Scene safety should ultimately not hinder patient care as the blast threat is mitigated. Employment of current Warm-zone response strategies will allow EMS to engage in life-saving patient care as soon as feasibly possible. Given the complexity of a response to blast incidents, integration of various disciplines and the use of incident command will help with making an otherwise chaotic scene into one that can be managed effectively.