Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to define the hospital treatment capacity (HTC) for casualties exposed to irritant gases in the Netherlands. The HTC score is determined by the hospital disaster plan (HDP), the staff and the equipment. The HTC percentage is the number of victims per hour per beds under the condition that the HDP has a score of 5. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 110 boards of directors of all general hospitals. The HTC status could be determined from responses ranging from not available to available and trained, with a score from 1 to 5. The respondents were also asked to perform a table‐top exercise regarding the number of ventilation beds available. Along with this questionnaire the national internet site of vacant ventilation beds was visited during a 3‐month period. Results: The average respons was 68%. The HTC score was 3.0. Only 5% of the responding hospitals considered themselves to be completely equipped for decontamination procedures. The HTC percentage was 0.3%. Conclusions: The weakest elements will determine the HTC, which will determine the capacity of the whole medical assistance chain, from prehospital to hospital care. The weakest elements were decontamination facilities and ventilation beds.