Medical Disaster Response

While the job of a clinician in a disaster scenario is to save lives without regard for the cause or rationale for the injury, medical and emergency professionals who understand the diverse aspects of a disaster are better equipped to respond effectively. Giving emergency personnel the tools they need to perform in catastrophic situations, Medical Disaster Response: A Survival Guide for Hospitals in Mass Casualty Events addresses the critical planning and response issues surrounding a mass casualty disaster before, during, and after the event. The book presents the fundamental components of a comprehensive medical disaster management plan that provides readers with a framework for developing individual policies to suit their particular institution. It examines natural, man-made, and terrorist disasters, and offers insight into the different strategies required for distinct scenarios, as well as the need to be prepared for the cascade effect of secondary events resulting from the original disaster. Real case studies examining medical disaster response This volume provides a powerful and unique case example through a chronology of the events of September 11th, offering a firsthand account and insight into the quintessential test case for disaster response effectiveness. It also profiles other notorious events—including Hurricane Katrina, the Madrid bombings, the SARS outbreak in 2004, and the sarin gas attack in Tokyo in 2005—as seen through the eyes of the expert contributors who witnessed and responded to these tragedies. The book presents the lessons learned from these events by the contributing authors who acted on the front lines of the medical disaster response. It is a valuable reference manual for emergency planning, response, and healthcare professionals to confront future disasters and help prevent and mitigate destruction and unnecessary casualties.

The number of natural and man-made disasters has risen dramatically over the last decade. Natural disasters, industrial accidents and terrorist attacks represent major incidents, often involving multiple casualties. In such cases, health professionals face multiple challenges because the type of medical care required differs from what is taught and provided in their everyday hospital duties. The aim of this book is to inform and prepare healthcare professionals for the challenges posed by major incidents, so that they can act effectively in medical teams sent on humanitarian missions or into conflict zones. It offers a holistic and horizontal approach covering all stages of the disaster management cycle. The book is divided into 5 sections: section 1: prehospital emergency services; section ii: hospital response; section iii: management of incidents; section iv: after the disaster; and section v: evaluation, ethical issues, education and research. Healthcare providers will find essential information on the special medical considerations in both prehospital and hospital disaster settings, medical management of disaster response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness. The book offers an interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach, and was written by prominent researchers and experienced practitioners.

The pressure of climate change, environmental degradation, and urbanisation, as well as the widening of socio- economic disparities have rendered the global population increasingly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters. With a primary focus on medical and public health humanitarian response to disasters, Public Health Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters provides a timely critical analysis of public health responses to natural disasters. Using a number of case studies and examples of innovative disaster response measures developed by international agencies and stakeholders, this book illustrates how theoretical understanding of public health issues can be practically applied in the context of humanitarian relief response. Starting with an introduction to public health principles within the context of medical and public health disaster and humanitarian response, the book goes on to explore key trends, threats and challenges in contemporary disaster medical response. This book provides a comprehensive overview of an emergent discipline and offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective across a range of relevant topics including the concepts of disaster preparedness and resilience, and key challenges in human health needs for the twenty-first century. This book will be of interest to students of public health, disaster and emergency medicine and development studies, as well as to development and medical practitioners working within NGOs, development agencies, health authorities and public administration.

Disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, heat waves, nuclear accidents, and large scale pollution incidents take lives and cause exceptionally large health problems. The majority of large-scale disasters affect the most vulnerable populations, which are often comprised of people of extreme ages, in remote living areas, with endemic poverty, and with low literacy. Health-related emergency disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) [1] refers to the systematic analysis and management of health risks surrounding emergencies and disasters; it plays an important role in reducing hazards and vulnerability along with extending preparedness, response, and recovery measures. This concept encompasses risk analyses and interventions, such as accessible early warning systems, timely deployment of relief workers, and the provision of suitable drugs and medical equipment, to decrease the impact of disaster on people before, during, and after disaster events. Disaster risk profiling and interventions can be at the personal/household, community, and system/political levels; they can be targeted at specific health risks including respiratory issues caused by indoor burning, re-emergence of infectious disease due to low vaccination coverage, and gastrointestinal problems resulting from unregulated waste management. Unfortunately, there has been a major gap in the scientific literature regarding Health-EDRM. The aim of this Special Issue of IJERPH was to present papers describing/reporting the latest disaster and health risk analyses, as well as interventions for health-related disaster risk management, in an effort to address this gap and facilitate major global policies and initiatives for disaster risk reduction.

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.

"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.

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.