Table 2

Suggested action card for the intensive care unit physician

Action card – intensive care unit (ICU) physician

Initial actions

• Make contact with the incident medical director (emergency department consultant).

• Check details of the incident.

• Assess the need for ICU beds and the timeframe.

• Liase with the senior ICU nurse and identify potential increases in capacity.

• Liase with the senior anaesthetist and senior surgeon.

• Consider the level of response required and identify staffing.

• Establish the need for satellite ICU/high-dependency unit beds or other beds.

• Ensure a sufficient number of runners to relay information on patient movements.

• Establish an ICU control room with updates.

Clinical care

• Identify current patients suitable for transfer.

• Designate senior ICU medical representation for the resuscitation room.

• Identify likely ICU patients and their dispersal (theatres, computed tomography, or direct admissions).

• Ensure that care is not compromised in existing non-incident ICU patients.

• In the event that resources are overwhelmed, liase with other senior clinicians about the diverting of patients.

Post-incident

• Identify pitfalls in planning early and address them at the earliest opportunity.

• Ensure the ongoing welfare and support of staff, patients, and relatives.

Shirley and Mandersloot Critical Care 2008 12:214   doi:10.1186/cc6876