ACEPNow - By Howard K. Mell on June 21, 2016
"Once considered places of sanctuary from violence, hospitals are now becoming desecrated by the ravages of a society where polite discourse seems to be easily forsaken in favor of gunpowder and lead. Surveys show that emergency department personnel are assaulted on a far-too-frequent basis.1 Data also demonstrate that patients and visitors are arriving armed to the teeth.2, 3 How can we prepare ourselves to survive when the mean streets spill into our corridors and bullets fly?
There are steps that can be taken to prevent gun violence in the ED. It’s well past time to examine the risks and learn how to react if you find yourself in the middle of the nightmarish scenario of an active shooter in your department...
Be safe, understand the risks of ED shootings, and take steps to prevent them. But if all else fails, RUN, HIDE, and FIGHT!"