{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T12:32:18Z","timestamp":1785414738479,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]],"date-time":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762905600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":315,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Disaster med. public health prep."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Biological emergencies strain health care facilities that are typically designed to accommodate routine surges. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in hospital oxygen delivery systems worldwide, resulting in ventilator failures and disruptions in patient care. At the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), the Emergency Department experienced significant challenges in maintaining the oxygen delivery system due to the unprecedented oxygen demand, over-frosting of pipelines, and system-wide depressurization. In response, the AUBMC established the Emergency Engineering Response Team (EERT) to rapidly develop and implement innovative, engineering-based strategies. This report shares the challenges faced by the AUBMC during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, details the solutions implemented, and provides recommendations to strengthen health care facility preparedness for future biological emergencies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2025.10238","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]],"date-time":"2025-11-12T11:18:48Z","timestamp":1762946328000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Facility Preparedness for Biological Emergencies: Lessons from AUBMC\u2019s Oxygen System Overhaul"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9766-5110","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mazen","family":"El-Baba","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Toronto"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdo","family":"Mghames","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00wmm6v75","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"American University of Beirut Medical Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rana","family":"Saleh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00wmm6v75","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"American University of Beirut Medical Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"George","family":"Khoury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00wmm6v75","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"American University of Beirut Medical Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Walid","family":"Shaib","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00wmm6v75","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"American University of Beirut Medical Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rima","family":"Jabbour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00wmm6v75","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"American University of Beirut Medical Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eveline Antoine","family":"Hitti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00wmm6v75","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"American University of Beirut Medical Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"S1935789325102383_r1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(24)00496-0"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijdrr.2022.103265"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12098-021-03978-0"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2022.204"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pdisas.2022.100244"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmi.2020.04.002"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1139\/facets-2022-0023"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.21-0669"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r13","first-page":"311","article-title":"Acute hospital oxygen shortage during COVID-19 pandemic surge: how can we prevent the apocalypse?","volume":"72","author":"Sindwani","year":"2022","journal-title":"Braz J Anesthesiol Engl Ed"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2020.132"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fbuil.2020.00148"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r2","unstructured":"2. COVID-19 oxygen emergency impacting more than half a million people in low- and middle-income countries every day, as demand surges. World Health Organization. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/25-02-2021-covid-19-oxygen-emergency-impacting-more-than-half-a-million-people-in-low--and-middle-income-countries-every-day-as-demand-surges. February 25, 2021."},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19138195"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2021.267"},{"key":"S1935789325102383_r5","unstructured":"5. NFPA 99. Health Care Facilities Code. 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