Emergency Preparedness

II.

Chemical Decontamination  Algorithm for Chemical Decontamination in a Hospital Setting

Initial Triage

Activate Emergency Management Plan and Hospital Decontamination Protocols

Event (HOTZone)

Notification From the Field or Patient Self Presentation

Is There a Life Threatening Condition?

Consider Life Saving Treatment and/or Medications

Yes

No

Patient to Decontamination Area

Decontamination Required?

Patient to Treatment Area

Yes

No

Decontamination Triage

Assisted Decontamination

Self Decontamination

WARM Zone

Patient Undresses Self in Area Providing Privacy

Undress Patient Providing Privacy

COLD Zone

Collect Belongings and Preserve Evidence

Staff Collects Belongings & PreservesEvidence

Patient Self Decontaminates

Redress Patient with Clean Covering

Decontaminate Patient

Secondary Triage

Yes

Decontamination Adequate?

No

Treatment Area

Repeat Decontamination in a Secondary Decontamination Station

Admit

Discharge

Transfer

Note: This document is not intended to stand alone but is part of an overall emergency management plan for decontamination. This algorithm is a general decontamination guide and should be customized to meet unique decontamination needs of the facility and the CBRNE event.

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