Abstract

Introduction: Although some crises cannot be predicted or prevented, quick management of incidents can reduce associated morbidities and mortalities. The current report aimed to present a strategic approach for management of foodborne outbreak of shigellosis.

Methods: Following the report of the poisoning in a number of students at the girls' dormitory complex in Shiraz and evaluations carried out by the team sent to the site, equipment and human force were dispatched to the dormitory. Three halls of the dormitory were equipped as the places for a temporary treatment. After the patients were visited by the infectious disease specialist, they were treated on the site or transferred to the hospital by ambulance. The sources of information were the reports recorded by the commander and paramedics and those extracted from EMS and hospital records. The data were analyzed using the SPSS14 software as well the Mean and Mann-Whitney tests.

Result: In order to avoid congestion in hospitals, nine ambulances, one ambulance bus, the incident command vehicle, five nurses, three physicians and 22 paramedics were deployed to the site. Also, the dormitory was equipped temporarily and 211 individuals (68%) were treated with antibiotics and intravenous fluids. Additionally, 87 individuals (28%) referred to hospitals by taxi or their personal cars and 12 ones (4%) were transferred to hospitals by ambulance.

Conclusion: This report indicated that creating a temporary location for patient treatment at the incident site could reduce the number of transfers and the related expenditures. It could also prevent nosocomial infections and a second crisis in the prehospital emergency system as well as in the hospital emergency ward.

Keywords: Mass Casualty Incident; Emergency Medical Service; Shigellosis; Emergency Wards; Outbreak

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