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Warning! Fire in the ICU

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2014

Fabio Rispoli*
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Pain Therapy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Michele Iannuzzi
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Pain Therapy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Edoardo De Robertis
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Pain Therapy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Ornella Piazza
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Pain Therapy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Giuseppe Servillo
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Pain Therapy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Rosalba Tufano
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Pain Therapy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
*
Correspondence: Fabio Rispoli, MD Departments of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Hyperbaric Therapy and Analgesic Therapy University of Naples Federico II Federico II University Hospital Via Sergio Pansini n. 5, 80131 Naples, Italy E-mail fabio.rispoli@unina.it

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).

RispoliF, IannuzziM, De RobertisE, PiazzaO, ServilloG, TufanoR. Warning! Fire in the ICU. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(3):1-2.

Type
Case Report
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2014 

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