When war breaks out, any existing health-care system will rapidly be disrupted and then overwhelmed: just when the infrastructure on which the facility is dependent collapses, an unprecedented influx of casualties occurs. This book is based on the ICRC's experience in running independent hospitals and is intended for anyone faced with the task of setting up or running a hospital for war casualties. It includes guidelines on how to manage an influx of wounded and sets out a system for managing patients from admission to discharge.