Disaster planning: A comprehensive approach.

The author comments on the comprehensive approach to disaster planning in U.S. hospitals which was published in a supplement to the May 2008 issue of "Chest." The individual reports in the supplement deal with providing definitive care for the critically ill during a disaster. A framework for allocation of limited resources in mass critical care is described in the fourth report. This deals with rationing of potentially life-saving care when demand exhausts the medical system.