Disaster Preparedness in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Pediatrics. 2017 May;139(5):e20170507. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0507. Epub 2017 Apr 17.

Abstract

Disasters disproportionally affect vulnerable, technology-dependent people, including preterm and critically ill newborn infants. It is important for health care providers to be aware of and prepared for the potential consequences of disasters for the NICU. Neonatal intensive care personnel can provide specialized expertise for their hospital, community, and regional emergency preparedness plans and can help develop institutional surge capacity for mass critical care, including equipment, medications, personnel, and facility resources.

MeSH terms

  • Critical Care / ethics
  • Critical Care / organization & administration
  • Disaster Planning / organization & administration*
  • Emergency Service, Hospital / organization & administration
  • Family / psychology
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / organization & administration*
  • Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
  • Social Support
  • Surge Capacity / ethics
  • United States