Emergency Department Visits for Home Medical Device Failure During the 2003 North American Blackout

The authors assessed the characteristics of community-based medical device dependent individuals that rapidly sought assistance in the emergency department (ED) during the Northeast Blackout of 2003. The study sought to characterize the population and identify specific emergency planning scenarios and resources that could inform planning and response activities in any future emergencies or disasters. Admissions due to medical device failures comprised 22% of all disaster admissions at the facility and those treated in the ED spent a mean of 15.1 hours.