Emergency Procedures & Response Flashcards

During a hospital evacuation, which patient category should be moved first according to standard emergency evacuation priority protocols?

Answer: Patients in immediate danger regardless of acuity

Standard evacuation priority dictates that patients in immediate danger (e.g., in the area of a fire or structural failure) are moved first, regardless of their medical condition.

A healthcare analyst reviewing emergency preparedness exercises notices 'hot wash' sessions. What is the primary purpose of a hot wash?

Answer: Conducting an immediate after-action discussion while the event is fresh

A hot wash is a rapid debriefing conducted immediately after an exercise or incident while participant observations are still fresh, capturing key lessons before memory fades.

Which section of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is responsible for patient tracking and medical recordkeeping during a disaster?

Answer: Planning Section

The Planning Section in HICS oversees information collection, patient tracking, resource status, and documentation to support situational awareness and incident action planning.

An analyst is comparing two hospitals' emergency department length-of-stay (LOS) data. Hospital A has median ED LOS of 210 minutes vs. Hospital B's 310 minutes for admitted patients. Which factor most commonly drives admitted patient ED LOS differences?

Answer: Inpatient bed availability and boarding delays

Inpatient bed boarding — admitted patients waiting in the ED for an inpatient bed — is the most significant driver of prolonged ED LOS for admitted patients.

In a bioterrorism event involving anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) cutaneous exposure, what is the recommended post-exposure prophylaxis regimen?

Answer: 60-day course of ciprofloxacin or doxycycline with anthrax vaccine

CDC recommends a 60-day course of antibiotics (ciprofloxacin or doxycycline) combined with the anthrax vaccine series for post-exposure prophylaxis after confirmed anthrax exposure.

Under NIMS, 'unified command' is used when an incident involves multiple jurisdictions or agencies. Which statement best describes unified command?

Answer: Representatives from all involved agencies share command responsibilities collaboratively

Unified command allows multiple agencies with different legal jurisdictions or functional responsibilities to manage an incident together under a single, integrated command structure.

A hospital's emergency preparedness analyst identifies that backup generator testing logs show only monthly 30-minute load tests. Which standard is likely NOT being met?

Answer: NFPA 110 requirements for annual 4-hour load bank testing of emergency generators

NFPA 110 requires emergency generators to undergo an annual load bank test of at least four continuous hours at 75% of nameplate rating, beyond routine monthly testing.