Managing Multiple Patients: EMS Operations (v2)

Course overview

Major newsworthy multiple-casualty incidents (MCI) are rare occurrences. Though each town or city has the possibility to be the next Virginia Tech or Oklahoma City, the chance that any one particular town will experience anything of that magnitude is unlikely. What will be more likely to occur is a vehicle accident involving a carload of kids or a fight at a local bar or sporting event. In these scenarios, the patient number is limited; however, an MCI is not based on the number of patients so much as it is on how the event overwhelms available resources. Planning is essential in any multiple-patient scenario. Interagency training is extremely important for successful outcomes.