Emergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents: A systematic review

Objective: The role of emergency medical services (EMS) preparedness in mass casualty incidents (MCIs) is crucial. MCIs are increasing worldwide, and EMS must enhance preparedness for them. For this purpose, the main components of EMS preparedness should be identified. This study aimed to describe the components of EMS preparedness in response to MCIs. Design and setting: This systematic review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guideline. The articles published from January 1970 to February 2022 were searched to discover the main components of EMS preparedness in MCIs. The electronic databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Science Direct, and ProQuest were searched using predetermined keywords. Ten articles were selected and included in this review. Results: After reviewing the articles, we identified the components of EMS preparedness in MCIs. Accordingly, 16 main components were extracted and classified into four categories, ie, individual improvement, group improvement, resources, and operations. Conclusion: MCIs are so complicated that they require adequate prehospital preparedness. This study described the components of EMS preparedness in MCIs. The authorities in EMS will benefit from this framework in planning and responding to MCIs.