Emergency Mass Critical Care

At any moment regular television programming could be interrupted with news of the emergence of a new strain of infective agent, a major industrial accident, or a terrorist event. Many devastating events are widespread and naturally occurring, like hurricanes, in which we have ample warning time to enact preparation plans; while others, like earthquakes, volcanoes, or tsunamis may kill or injure thousands before the news reports hit the airwaves. Industrial accidents and terrorist events are usually sudden and occur without any warning. Any of these events may have a local or regional effect; some may even have a global impact [1]. Regardless of the cause, after such an event, large amounts of the populace will be seeking medical care, whether from their primary care providers, public health departments, or local hospitals.