Health And Medical Aspects Of Disaster Preparedness

The study of Health and Medical Aspects of Disaster Preparedness was approved by NATO/CCMS in 1985 with the first pilot study meeting in June of that year. The pilot study, under the leadership of the United States and Belgium, focused on the current status of disaster preparedness in partici pating nations. An objective look was taken at the availability or resources to cope with disasters from an international standpoint. The types of disaster settings that were reviewed in the study included the following: (1) Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, avalanches (2) Nuclear power plant accidents or spills (3) Water and aircraft accidents (4) Building fires, building collapses (5) Contamination by hazardous chemicals or biological waste (6) Civil disturbances A disaster can strike anywhere at any time. Some nations and local communities have well-developed disaster plans with which to meet catastrophic situations. The fact is that most communities are without written and coordinated disaster plans which offer their citizens the most effective and comprehensive protection in these unexpected and often critical situations. Disaster has been defined as a sudden event which involves large numbers of people and results in loss of life, serious injury and property loss. together with a severe disruption of community organization and services. In the United States, thousands of people are killed and injured in disasters every year. Thus, disasters constitute a serious problem in both individual and public health terms in this country alone. Disasters can be classified as natural and man-made.

The second edition of this leading textbook provides the definitive guide to disaster health management. From the key concepts, principles and terminology, to systems for mitigation, planning, response and recovery, it gives readers a comprehensive overview of every aspect of this emerging field. Split into eight parts, the book begins by drawing the parameters of disaster health management before outlining key elements such as communication, community engagement and legal issues. It then moves on to discuss preparing for potential disasters, managing and mitigating their impact, and then recovering in the aftermath. Offering key insights into evaluation, leadership and the psychosocial aspects of disaster health management, the new edition also features a range of international case studies, including those outlining the management of COVID-19. It is essential reading for both students and practitioners engaging in this important work.

"This new volume includes Individual Concepts and Events sections that provide information on the general approach to disaster medicine and practical information on specific disasters. You'll also find an exhaustive list of chapters on the conceivable chemical and biologic weapons known today, as well as strategies for the management of future events, or possible scenarios, for which there is no precedent."--BOOK JACKET.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. International Disaster Health Care: Preparedness, Response, Resource Management, and Education provides a complete image of the needs, concerns, and insights that relate to disaster preparedness from an international health-care perspective. The United Nations has recognized the devastating consequences of "unpredictable, unpreventable and impersonal" disasters—at least US $2 trillion in economic damage and more than 1.3 million lives lost from natural disasters in the last two decades alone. In many disasters (both natural and man-made) hundreds—and in major earthquakes, thousands—of lives are lost in the first days following the event because of the lack of medical/surgical facilities to treat those with potentially survivable injuries. Disasters disrupt and destroy not only medical facilities in the disaster zone but also infrastructure (roads, airports, electricity) and potentially local healthcare personnel as well. To minimize morbidity and mortality from disasters, medical treatment must begin immediately, within minutes ideally, but certainly within 24 hours (not the days to weeks currently seen in medical response to disasters). Edited by emergency health professionals, this valuable compendium is broken into five sections, which describe the following topics: disaster-related health care disaster preparedness and resilience effective medical responses to disasters managing resources during disasters how medical staff can be better educated to handle disasters This volume brings together a wealth of information that will be valuable to disaster management professionals and others responsible for providing emergency services.

The most comprehensive resource of its kind, Ciottone's Disaster Medicine, 2nd Edition, thoroughly covers isolated domestic events as well as global disasters and humanitarian crises. Dr. Gregory Ciottone and more than 200 worldwide authorities share their knowledge and expertise on the preparation, assessment, and management of both natural and man-made disasters, including terrorist attacks and the threat of biological warfare. Part 1 offers an A-to-Z resource for every aspect of disaster medicine and management, while Part 2 features an exhaustive compilation of every conceivable disaster event, organized to facilitate quick reference in a real-time setting. Quickly grasp key concepts, including identification of risks, organizational preparedness, equipment planning, disaster education and training, and more advanced concepts such as disaster risk reduction, tactical EMS, hazard vulnerability analysis, impact of disaster on children, and more. Understand the chemical and biologic weapons known to exist today, as well as how to best manage possible future events and scenarios for which there is no precedent. Be prepared for man-made disasters with new sections that include Topics Unique to Terrorist Events and High-Threat Disaster Response and Operational Medicine (covering tactical and military medicine). Get a concise overview of lessons learned by the responders to recent disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Sandy, the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and active shooter events like Sandy Hook, CT and Aurora, CO. Learn about the latest technologies such as the use of social media in disaster response and mobile disaster applications. Ensure that everyone on your team is up-to-date with timely topics, thanks to new chapters on disaster nursing, crisis leadership, medical simulation in disaster preparedness, disaster and climate change, and the role of non-governmental agencies (NGOs) in disaster response - a critical topic for those responding to humanitarian needs overseas. Expert Consult eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

Disaster management is an increasingly important subject, as effective management of both natural and manmade disasters is essential to save lives and minimize casualties. This book discusses the best practice for vital elements of disaster medicine in both developed and developing countries, including planning and preparedness of hospitals, emergency medical services, communication and IT tools for medical disaster response and psychosocial issues. It also covers the use of state-of the-art training tools, with a full section on post-disaster relief, rehabilitation and recovery.

When communities face complex public health emergencies, state local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies must make difficult decisions regarding how to effectively respond. The public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) system, with its multifaceted mission to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from public health emergencies, is inherently complex and encompasses policies, organizations, and programs. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the United States has invested billions of dollars and immeasurable amounts of human capital to develop and enhance public health emergency preparedness and infrastructure to respond to a wide range of public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events. Despite the investments in research and the growing body of empirical literature on a range of preparedness and response capabilities and functions, there has been no national-level, comprehensive review and grading of evidence for public health emergency preparedness and response practices comparable to those utilized in medicine and other public health fields. Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response reviews the state of the evidence on PHEPR practices and the improvements necessary to move the field forward and to strengthen the PHEPR system. This publication evaluates PHEPR evidence to understand the balance of benefits and harms of PHEPR practices, with a focus on four main areas of PHEPR: engagement with and training of community-based partners to improve the outcomes of at-risk populations after public health emergencies; activation of a public health emergency operations center; communication of public health alerts and guidance to technical audiences during a public health emergency; and implementation of quarantine to reduce the spread of contagious illness.