Surge Capacity

Surge Resources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Altered Standards of Care in Mass Casualty Events
This AHRQ document offers an overview of health and medical care delivery during a Mass Casualty Event and discusses various issues which must be addressed in terms of altered standards of care.  It recommends guiding principles and a framework for establishing altered standards of care, action steps, legal issues to consider and other non-clinical issues (i.e. finance, reimbursement).

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality:
Pediatric Hospital Surge Capacity in Public Health Emergencies
This document consists of guidelines to assist pediatric hospitals in converting from standard operating capacity to surge capacity and help community hospital emergency departments provide care for large numbers of critically ill children.  The tool addresses needs such as communications, staff responsibilities, triaging, stress management, and security concerns when handling large numbers of children with either communicable respiratory diseases or communicable foodborne or waterborne illnesses.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Surge Capacity: Facilities and Equipment
This brief examines the need for facilities and equipment as a critical component in planning for surge capacity.

Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children
Pediatric and Neonatal Disaster/Surge Guide
This guide is a resource to assist health care providers with addressing the medical needs of children during a disaster. The medical information provided in this guide should not be considered an exclusive course for treatment and is meant to be utilized during times of disaster and mass casualty incidents that results in a surge of pediatric and neonatal patients. Care considerations incorporated into this resource include: normal values, triage and assessment tools, treatment and medications, equipment, decontamination, mental health and security.

NYC Department of Health
Pediatric Disaster Tool Kit: Hospital Guidelines for Pediatrics in Disasters, 3rd Edition
This document was developed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in collaboration with the Centers for Bioterrorism Preparedness Planning. It provides guidelines for hospitals on 13 topics related to pediatric disaster preparedness including pediatric surge capacity.