ASTM WK23835 for Emergency Medical Services to Focus on Equipment for Mass Casualty Events
June 12, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
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ASTM International Committee F30 on Emergency Medical Services is developing a standard that is designed to provide guidance for how medical equipment is expected to perform under the conditions of a mass casualty event.
ASTM WK23835 - Specification for Environmental Requirements for Medical Equipment Used in Mass Casualty Events is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F30.01 on EMS Equipment.
"Traditional environments require medical devices to meet temperature, dust, moisture, altitude, shock and vibration and electromagnetic compatibility requirements," said Leslie Sherman, vice chair of Committee F30.
"At a mass casualty event there can be exacerbating factors that go beyond traditional environmental concerns and this is what the proposed standard intends to address," Sherman said.
According to Sherman, ASTM WK23835 will be used to educate and assist those involved in the selection of medical equipment for mass casualty care preparedness.
"The educational aspect of the proposed standard will focus on how nontraditional environments can have deleterious effects on the operation of traditional medical equipment and the dangers these environments present to patient and caregiver," said Sherman.
Individuals responsible for selecting medical devices for mass casualty events will be the primary users of the proposed standard. These individuals include those based in local to federal government, emergency services and private industry.
Sherman said recipients of federal grants in support of efforts to mitigate the effects of a mass casualty event will benefit from ASTM WK23835, which will help grantees to understand the conditions in which medical devices will be expected to operate.
Source: ASTM International.