Disaster Preparedness in the Blood Bank

When a natural or manmade disaster occurs, the first place the wounded are relocated to is the hospital. Disasters generate many types of injuries that may require the use of blood products. Blood Banks need to be prepared for a rapid influx of patients. Because of recent world events, the blood community has established guidelines to assist Blood Banks with creating successful Emergency Operations Procedures. Blood Banks can use these guidelines to create mock scenarios and tabletop exercises to estimate how the blood supply will be affected in the wake of disasters such as pandemics and blood shortages. Retrospective review of past disaster experiences such as earthquakes, airline crashes, and bombings can be used to evaluate what went well and what improvements to the process need to be made. Developing a disaster plan is a multistep process that includes determining the need for blood products, routes of communication, how to mobilize hospital staff, and how to procure more blood products. Once a plan is created, it should be practiced and improved upon, so flaws in the plan can be corrected and the best possible care for patients can be provided. ABBREVIATIONS: CLSI - Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute, AABB - organization formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, ED - emergency department, EMS - emergency medical service, EOP - emergency operations plan, MRCC - Medical Resource Control Center, MCI - Mass Casualty Incident, TASMC - Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, MAC - Medical Alert Center