Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T23:50:07.226Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

University Hospital Struck Deaf and Silent by Lightning: Lessons to Learn

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2015

Fabrice Dami ,
Pierre-Nicolas Carron ,
Bertrand Yersin  and
Olivier Hugli
Fabrice Dami*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Pierre-Nicolas Carron
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bertrand Yersin
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Olivier Hugli
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Fabrice Dami, MD, MBA, Department of Emergency Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Bugnon 46, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland (e-mail: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We describe how an electromagnetic wave after a lightning strike affected a university hospital, including the communication shutdown that followed, the way it was handled, and the lessons learned from this incident. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:440–443)

Keywords

lightning struckelectromagnetic wavecommunication shutdown
Type
From the Field
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 9 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 440 - 443
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Mortelmans, L, Van Springel, G, Van Boxstael, S, et al. Impact of lightning strikes on hospital functions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24:430-432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Goffion, R. Storms: hospitals are not sufficiently protected against lightning strucks. Presented at Hospitals’ Engineer Conference; 2013; Paris [in French]. Directhopital.com website. http://www.directhopital.com/Orages—les-hopitaux-peu-proteges-contre-la-foudre-NS_1212.html. Accessed February 2, 2015.Google Scholar