Figure 2.

Diagram depicting the spectrum of surge from minor through major. The magnitude of surge is illustrated by the alterations in the balance between demand (stick figures) and supply (medication boxes). As surge increases, the demand-supply imbalance worsens. Conventional, contingency, and crisis responses are used to respond to the varying magnitude of surge. Varying response strategies are associated with each level of response. As the magnitude of the surge increases, the strategies used to cope with the response gradually depart from the usual standard of care (default defining the standards of disaster care) until such point that even with crisis care, critical care is no longer able to be provided. (Reprinted with permission from Christian et al.³)