Duke Hospital continues to divert emergency patients after pipe bursts and floods ER
A broken water pipe that flooded Duke University Hospital continued to cause problems Sunday, with ambulances being diverted to other hospitals in the region.
A chilled water pipe inside a wall burst at 11:40 p.m. Thursday, flooding the Emergency Department with water and debris, officials said.
Video shared online showed patients being wheeled through flooded hallways as water poured from overhead and portions of the ceiling collapsed.
The hospital, on Erwin Road, was still diverting ambulances Sunday afternoon. Individuals who arrived at the ER on their own were being treated in other parts of the hospital, Duke confirmed.
“We urge members of the public to seek emergency care at other area hospitals or an urgent care center if possible,” hospital officials said in a statement.
Patients experiencing life-threatening emergencies should still contact 911.
In an update Saturday, hospital officials called the flooding an “unprecedented event.”
Gordon Smith, chief paramedic for Durham County Emergency Medical Services, said the county wasn’t sure when the hospital’s ER would reopen. In an email Sunday morning, the hospital told Durham EMS that trauma cases would remain “on diversion for several more days until additional rooms became available.”
About 80% of patients transported by ambulance in Durham typically go to Duke University Hospital, around 120 to 140 people every 24 hours, Smith estimated. They are instead being taken to Duke Regional Hospital, or facilities in the UNC Health and WakeMed systems.
“It’s a pretty serious situation for the other hospitals,” Smith said. “They are aware and handling it as best as they can, and our staff will be there to work with them to ease the strain on their systems.”
EMS supervisors helped move ER patients into temporary spaces, Smith said.
Hospital updates flooding details
It’s unclear how many patients were affected, but the hospital said all patients who were in the ER when the pipe burst “received appropriate care.”
Flooding was concentrated on the hospital’s first floor near the ER. “There were no impacts to in-patient units or surgical suites, which are located on other floors,” Duke officials said Saturday.
Addressing concerns about discolored flood water seen in videos, the hospital said the burst pipe was from a “chilled water line” which is clean, non-drinking water treated to stop biological growth or corrosion.
Yet as water spilled from the hospital’s ceiling and walls, it carried debris. The health care system’s occupational safety office and infection prevention team are now working together to conduct “water recovery initiatives.”
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 10:49 AM.
