Checklist for emergency department team's COVID-19 surge

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges to many health care systems across the globe.

With limited science to guide staff and structure surge response, authors Matteo Paganini, Andrea Conti, Eric Weinstein, Francesco della Corte and Luca Ragazzoni from the Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale in Novara, Italy reviewed the available surge literature and using a translational science approach posed the question "How does the concept of sudden onset mass casualty incident (MCI) surge capability apply to the process to expand COVID-19 response?

After reviewing the on-line ahead of print and print COVID-19 scientific publications, as well as grey literature, a checklist was created to guide the Emergency Department team's COVID-19 surge structural response in the Novara hospital.

According to Dr. Paganini "Preparedness is crucial for the resilience of healthcare systems. This pandemic has found us unprepared. We have to translate disaster medicine theory into practice, reconfiguring our Emergency Departments to meet the surge of patients. These guidelines can help the hospital team meet this demand."