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Sterile Processing staff and leadership show up to their healthcare facilities on a daily basis usually knowing what to expect when they arrive at work. OR schedules, staffing, sterile equipment availability and department expectations are usually known and reviewed in advance. However, it is possible that adverse events, known as disasters, can have a drastic outcome on all the planning that has been done for a "routine" day in Sterile Processing. This self-study article will discuss specific adverse events and how to manage, recover from and plan for the unexpected.
Disasters that can affect healthcare
A disaster is defined as "a calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a flood, airplane crash, or business failure."1 In healthcare facilities we prepare for the unexpected by having a Disaster Preparedness or Emergency Operations Plan. The Joint Commission states, "All organizations must have an emergency management program, Emergency Management Plan, or Emergency Operations Plan depending on the size of the program or facility, so that an individual's care can be continued effectively in the event of emergency situations. An Emergency Management Plan should indicate specific responses to the types of disasters likely to be encountered by the organization."2 Explaining Standard ÉM.02.01.01, which states that "The hospital has an Emergency Operations Plan," The Joint Commission notes, "The hospital's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is designed to coordinate its communications, resources and assets, safety and security, staff responsibilities, utilities, and patient clinical and support activities during an emergency."3
Disasters affecting healthcare facilities can be categorized into two types: internal and external. Both types of disasters may have components that are natural in origin or man-made. Disasters of natural origin include earthquakes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, etc. Examples of manmade disasters include war, bomb blasts, chemical leaks, riots, sewerage backups, arson, etc. An external disaster is an occurrence or incident outside the hospital in which the hospital is expected to assist. An external disaster can contribute to unexpected influxes of both surgical and non-surgical patients. Internal disasters are situations occurring inside the hospital (e.g., fire inside the hospital, flooding, unexpected structural damage, internal environmental changes). Whether natural, man-made, internal or external, these types of disasters can have a direct impact on the...