ABSTRACT
Computerization of the medical record mandates the same high standards of recording. Breaking bad news to a relative concerning critical illness, injury or sudden death, especially when unexpected after trauma or cardiac arrest, must be done in the privacy of a quiet relatives’ room. Mainstays of effective risk management include the credentialling of medical staff in infection control practices such as handwashing, incident monitoring and tracking, complaints monitoring and tracking, detailed medical records, and in risk education such as e-learning resources. A chemical, biological and radiological hazardous materials incident requires a specialized response, necessitating staff to wear specific personal protective equipment and patients to be decontaminated. An incident involving an industrial chemical or weaponized chemical agent has the potential for large numbers of casualties following accidental or deliberate release. Biological incidents take two distinct forms: natural phenomena such as an influenza pandemic or dengue epidemic, and deliberate release or a ‘white powder’- type incident.
