Warning! fire in the ICU

Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014 Jun;29(3):339-40. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X1400048X. Epub 2014 May 28.

Abstract

At 5:30 pm on December 17, 2010, shortly after a power failure, smoke filled the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Federico II University Hospital in Naples, Italy, triggering the hospital emergency alarm system. Immediately, staff began emergency procedures and alerted rescue teams. All patients were transferred without harm. The smoke caused pharyngeal and conjunctival irritation in some staff members. After a brief investigation, firefighters discovered the cause of the fire was a failure of the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

MeSH terms

  • Electric Power Supplies / adverse effects*
  • Equipment Failure
  • Fires*
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units*
  • Italy
  • Occupational Exposure / adverse effects
  • Transportation of Patients