Michael A. Sullivan

Managing in a Catastrophe: Radiology During Hurricane Katrina

1All authors: Department of Radiology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Ochsner Medical Center, 1514 Jefferson Hwy., New Orleans, LA 70121. Address correspondence to E. I. Bluth. aving successfully managed the department of radiology at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation during the recent events of Hurricane Katrina, we thought it would be valuable to share and discuss key information regarding management during a catastrophe. Management during a catastrophe can be divided into three components: preplanning, managing the actual event, and modifying the emergency plan according to lessons learned from the previous event. The Ochsner Clinic Foundation is a 532-bed tertiary care academic medical center with 20 radiologists, 22 residents and fellows, and more than 300 other personnel within the radiology department on the main campus. Before Hurricane Katrina, we had had many previous hurricane alerts at Ochsner, and we updated our emergency plan regarding equipment, personnel, emergency power, and communications annually. The overall institutional plan called for key individuals to stay in the institution for 2 days after the hurricane struck and then evacuate by helicopter to safety. This plan had previously been communicated to and accepted by the whole institution, including the radiology department.

Abscess drainage with the aid of pelvic real-time sonography

A case is described in which digital pelvic real-time ultrasound evaluation was used in order to determine the proper placement of a catheter for abscess drainage. This is the first description of utilizing this new technique as an adjunct to a surgical procedure.