Hospitals are facing a significant challenge to be prepared for mass casualty victims who may be contaminated with nuclear, chemical, or biological (NCB) agents. The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has mandated that hospitals must have an emergency preparedness program that deals with internal and external disaster management, including the decontamination of victims of terrorist action. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has also issued guidelines and recommendations for managing such victims. The costs involved in developing and maintaining a reasonable level of preparedness can easily reach hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

After completing this activity, the participant should be able to:

• explain the basic principles of decontamination.
• explain the use of the various levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) available.
• compare the logistical issues involved when decontaminating mass casualties versus a small number of victims.
• evaluate the minimum equipment and training needs of his or her hospital to treat contaminated victims.

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