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Photo 1: Decontamination (Decon) Tent
- Staff removes patient clothes first, then slides litter patient across rollers from entrance to exit, while performing shower
- Separate lanes for adult males (left) and for adult females and children (right) inside closed left and right tent flaps on either side of the litter rollers
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Photo 2: Responders in Portable Decon Tent
- Mock litter patient rolled across platform inside tent where showering is performed
- Responders wearing full military chem/bio/rad protective gear (Military MOPP 4 gear)
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Photo 3: Responders and mock patient in decontamination area of fixed facility
- Responders wearing Tyvek® body suits as mass casualty exercise for contamination only
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Photo 4: Responders and mock patient in radiation decontamination decon tent
- Millitary staff during exercise use water hoses to decontamination non-ambulatory patient.
- Staff is wearing full military chem/bio/rad protective gear (Military MOPP 4 gear)
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Source: CAPT Judith L. Bader, MD, USPHS, 10/21/2004 |
Summary of decontamination procedures (see Decontamination Procedures for details)
- Survey patients/victims with radiation survey meter prior to decontamination to document location and level of contamination
- Non-ambulatory victim decontamination
- Medical triage officer is stationed close to tent entrance to be sure needed lifesaving procedures are begun before decontamination
- Decon staff rolls non-ambulatory contaminated litter patient along center ramp from entrance to exit while performing decontamination shower (see coiled, red hoses hanging from tent ceiling, Photo 2)
- Carefully remove clothing from patient/victim
- Property of each individual should be bagged individually in airtight container
- Label property bags with patient/victim's name, date, and time
- Storage of property must be secure, particularly if forensic inquiry is likely
- On the exit side of the decontamination line, provide warm, clean clothes (or sheets/blankets)
- See decon cycle description below
- Ambulatory victim decontamination
- Victims pass through sides of decon tent behind tent flaps
- Hanging shower lines inside side panels (not shown Photo 1 and Photo 2) facilitate showering with warm water, soap, shampoo
- After each decon cycle through tent
- Medical triage officer reassesses patients, especially litter patients, to be sure they are still stable
- Radiation safety personnel re-scans patient/victim with radiation survey meter and records information on radiation survey chart (PDF - 49 KB)
- Radiation counts in excess of 2-3 x background levels may indicate need for additional decon cycles
- Cease decontamination of skin and wounds when
- Radiation survey reveals less than twice background
- When there is no significant reduction between decontamination efforts, and before skin becomes abraded
- Practical decon considerations
- In mass casualty events, decon facilities should be set up away from primary medical facility and hospital to avoid cross contamination
- Throughput for decontamination in facilities shown above in Photos 1-3 is likely not to exceed 100 patients/hour
- Although not recommended in large mass casualty events, capturing effluent water from shower in bladders may be considered in smaller events.
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