American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians Presents Mass Casualty Incident Simulation

CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP), working in partnership with Chicago's Public Safety Departments, presents a Mass Casualty Incident Simulation on October 20^th in Chicago, Illinois. The event trains emergency medicine physicians on how to save lives in a mass casualty situation.

"A mass casualty incident can take any form and all too often hospital staff is not prepared to handle it," says Event Chair and ACOEP Board Member Stephanie Davis, DO, FACOEP. "The goal of this training is for doctors to know exactly what it's like to operate from the epicenter of these tragedies and to create action plans specific to their hospital."

According to the FBI, 2017 marked a year of the most mass shootings, and the most fatalities in an active shooter situation. Often physicians and hospitals are challenged to deal with surges of patients, which can contribute to higher mortality rates.

Physicians will staff a replicated emergency department as a surge of moulage patients flood the hospital from a mass casualty event, the details of which will be kept secret from participants to ensure a realistic experience. Doctors will manage patient surge, treat, triage, and discharge patients, all while dealing with realistic injections into the chaos—anything from a weapons sweep, to frantic family members.

Doctors will also take part in skills labs to practice vital, rarely used procedures such as field amputations, and cricothyrotomy simulations in unconventional situations.

"In an MCI event doctors may be required to intubate on a floor or in a closet," says Davis. "These are critical skills that we don't practice every day. We want our attendees to go home confident they can save lives under any circumstances."

ACOEP's Mass Casualty event is currently open to physicians and residents at www.acoep.org/scientific. Space is limited to 100 participants.

ACOEP is a member-based association providing excellence in education and professional development of emergency physicians across the country, representing physicians in all 50 states, and promoting quality emergency care nation-wide. Visit www.acoep.org to learn more.

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) are fully trained and licensed physicians, practicing in every state and medical specialty. Emphasizing a whole-person approach to treatment and care, DOs are trained to listen and partner with patients to help them get healthy and stay well.

SOURCE American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians

Related Links

https://www.acoep.org