January 17, 2013

This was not a drill

The movie theater at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt was one of three areas turned into a temporary patient unit to care for dozens of children exposed to carbon monoxide at a Nashville school earlier this week.

(photo by Steve Green)

The movie theater at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt was one of three areas turned into a temporary patient unit to care for dozens of children exposed to carbon monoxide at a Nashville school earlier this week.

The hospital swung into action when it confirmed that at least two students had carbon monoxide poisoning, triggering the largest single-day mass casualty event since the hospital opened in 2004. Forty children age 5 to 11 were admitted on Monday evening and were treated with oxygen for 23 hours.

“Our team’s response to this event — the coming together of clinical leaders, care providers from all areas of the hospital and clinics, our support services ­— was remarkable. I am very appreciative of the great work done here,” said Children’s Hospital Chief of Staff Meg Rush, M.D.