Abstract
Background
Fires in intensive care units (ICU) are rare but pose unique challenges due to patients' limited mobility, dependence on life-sustaining treatment, complex medical equipment and oxygen-enriched environments. Conventional evacuation strategies are often inadequate for critically ill patients requiring intensive care.Objective
Development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary training concept for the evacuation of critically ill ICU patients during fire emergencies involving both fire service personnel and hospital staff.Material and methods
In this single-center exploratory simulation study, a 6-module training program was developed following a structured hazard analysis. The contents included critical care medical principles, medical devices, crew resource management, hospital layout and evacuation planning, medical equipment management and simulation-based training. Subsequently, a realistic evacuation exercise involving firefighters, intensive care nursing personnel and physicians was conducted using two complex ICU patient scenarios. The primary endpoint was the successful evacuation of all patients.Results
Both simulated patients were successfully evacuated in all simulation runs. The mean evacuation time to reach the next safe fire compartment was 4 min 5 s, while an additional firefighting water supply was established after a mean of 3 min 15 s. Only one minor technical error was observed; no relevant disconnection of life support devices or interruptions of patient care occurred.Conclusion
The interdisciplinary training concept enabled the safe and feasible evacuation of critically ill ICU patients under realistic fire conditions. Regular joint simulation training involving fire service personnel and hospital staff, together with standardized evacuation protocols, could substantially improve patient safety and emergency preparedness in intensive care units.