Last updated 10th July 2024: Online ordering is currently unavailable due to technical issues. We apologise for any delays responding to customers while we resolve this. For further updates please visit our website https://www.cambridge.org/news-and-insights/technical-incident
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
This journal utilises an Online Peer Review Service (OPRS) for submissions. By clicking "Continue" you will be taken to our partner site
https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pdm.
Please be aware that your Cambridge account is not valid for this OPRS and registration is required. We strongly advise you to read all "Author instructions" in the "Journal information" area prior to submitting.
To save this undefined to your undefined account, please select one or more formats and confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you used this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your undefined account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save this article to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
A large number of civilian agencies have published guides and recommendations on how to assemble personal and family emergency kits. However, the kits resulting from following these guidelines are impractical, particularly in the event evacuation becomes necessary. This report describes an alternative approach to assembling an emergency kit.
OstrovskiyG, ShemeshAJ. Contents of a Bug-Out Bag. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):647–649.
This study aims at establishing the self-leadership development model (SLM) of China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) members as a supplement to current selection standards of CEMT members.
Methods
Raw dataset was obtained through two ways: in-depth interviews and documentary materials (memoirs and articles). The in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 CEMT members, all of whom have participated in multiple disaster relief activities and have been CEMT members for more than two years. This paper followed a grounded theory methodology dealing with all data.
Results
Based on tasks, the SLM-CEMT consists of three basic parts: (1) making plans; (2) action; and (3) outcomes. Different parts involve various self-leadership strategies, of which five are the original dimensions of previous research (goal-setting, visualizing successful performance, self-talk, self-reward, and self-correcting feedback) and three are new dimensions (role clarity, self-initiative, and self-vigilance).
Conclusions:
The SLM-CEMT, with the three new parts, provides a new look at screening CEMT members as well as pondering on future research. Based on the SLM-CEMT, administrators could screen more qualified CEMT members. For the limitations, future work will be on the generalization and confirmation of this model.
HaoX, LiX, ZhengJ.Screening China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) Members: A Self-Leadership Perspective. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):596–601.
The contamination of the environment, ambulance equipment, and staff hands consequently are major factors which create nosocomial infections in emergency patients. The contamination of equipment and devices plays an important role in nosocomial infections.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a disinfectant on the rate of microbial contamination of ambulances in Qom Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Qom, Iran.
Methods
This is a quasi-experimental study with a before-after design in order to determine microbial contaminations at the rear and front cabin of ambulances, as well as medical equipment being utilized in Qom EMS. Saya sept-HP-2% solution was used for disinfection. Bacteriological standard methods were used to identify the contaminations.
Results
The contamination rates before and after use of disinfection solution were 52% and eight percent, respectively. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most commonly isolated bacterial agent from the equipment (53%). In all equipment, the contamination level has shown a significant reduction after applying disinfectant.
Conclusions:
In spite of the fact that the rate of infection from ambulance equipment is high, the results showed that the use of the suitable disinfectant had an effective role in the reduction of bacteria.
FarhadlooR, Goodarzi FarJ, AzadehMR, ShamsS, Parvaresh-MasoudM.Evaluation of Bacterial Contamination on Prehospital Ambulances Before and After Disinfection. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):602–606.
In 2016, the authors published a paper on music festival fatalities between the years 1999 and 2014 (n=722). In this Special Report, they provide an update on fatalities reported at music festivals globally for the period 2016-2017 (n=201). Using a search strategy designed to capture grey literature and media reports of music festival fatalities, reports of the overall frequency and cause-of-death breakdown for publicly reported, festival-related deaths are recorded. This update shows an increase in the frequency of festival-related fatality reports during the new period, together with an increase in the number of deaths attributable to terror (n=60) and overdose/poisoning (n=41). Drawing conclusions about the cause of this increase is challenging given the growth in Internet use, online media reports, and number of music festivals occurring annually when compared with the previous reporting period. The authors re-emphasize the need for a uniform reporting standard and reliable epidemiological data for fatalities related to music festivals, mass gatherings, and special events.
TurrisSA, JonesT, LundA. Mortality at Music Festivals: An Update for 2016-2017 – Academic and Grey Literature for Case Finding. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):553–557.
Dogs left behind in the restricted area by the Great East Japan Earthquakes of 2011 (Fukushima Prefecture, Japan) were initially rescued at a temporary first response shelter under chaotic conditions: poor housing and husbandry was maintained by unfamiliar/untrained staff, and lack of exercise was associated with deterioration of the mental and physical health of the impounded dogs. The objectives of this study were to report characteristics, disposition, and health status of dogs rescued in the Fukushima Prefecture, and to perform a retrospective epidemiological evaluation of factors associated with disposition and disease incidence at shelters.
Problems
The problems addressed in this study were shelter-related health issues at the first response shelter and reasons for retained adoption at the secondary shelter that caused delayed closure of the shelter.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study was performed with all dogs that were rescued from the restricted area in the Fukushima Prefecture. Kaplan-Meier time-to-event analysis was performed to estimate the median days to outcomes. A chi-square test of homogeneity was used to determine whether ownership status was associated with breed. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association between time-to-adoption with ownership status, age, sex, and breed, the association between time to onset of diarrhea with age and breed, and between duration of diarrheic symptoms with the number of antibiotics and the number of medications.
Results
Five-hundred and twenty-nine dogs were admitted to the Ihno and Miharu shelters (Fukushima Prefecture), including 179 that had detailed medical records. Seventy-six percent of dogs were mixed breed. Twenty-six percent of dogs had verified ownership, and almost 16% of dogs were reclaimed by their owners. Sixty-six percent of dogs developed diarrhea, and 17 different antibiotics were used to treat it. Using three or more different antibiotics was associated with prolonged signs of diarrhea. Dogs with verified ownership took longer for adoption than those without verified ownership. Breed and sex were not significantly associated with time to adoption. Age was associated with prolonged time to adoption.
Conclusion
To improve the welfare of dogs in disasters, responsible owner education, a well-organized registered volunteer training program for care of animals at shelters, proper disease management protocols, and enrichment strategies to prevent stress and disease in shelter setting are essential.
TanakaA, Martinez-LopezB, KassP.Epidemiological Evaluation of Dogs Rescued in the Fukushima Prefecture Following the Great East Japan Earthquakes of 2011. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):478–583.
A Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and explosive (CBRNe) event is an emergency which can result in injury, illness, or loss of life. The emergency department (ED) as a health system is at the forefront of the CBRNe response with staff acting as first receivers. Emergency departments are under-prepared to respond to CBRNe events - recognizing key factors which underlie the ED CBRNe response is crucial to provide evidence-based knowledge to inform policies and, most importantly, clinical practice.
Problem
Challenges in detection, decontamination, and diagnosis are associated with the ED CBRNe response when faced with self-presenting patients.
Methods
A systematic review was carried out in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). An in-depth search strategy was devised to identify studies which focused on the ED and CBRNe events. The inclusion criteria were stringent in terms of the environment (ED), participants (first receivers), situation (CBRNe response), and actions (detection, decontamination, and diagnosis). Fifteen databases and topic-specific journals were searched. Studies were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Papers were thematically coded and synthesized using NVivo 10 (QSR International Ltd, Melbourne, Australia).
Results
Sixty-seven full-text papers were critically appraised using the MMAT; 70% were included (n = 60) as medium- or high-quality studies. Data were grouped into four themes: preparedness, response, decontamination, and personal protective equipment (PPE) problems.
Discussion
This study has recognized the ED as a system which depends on four key factors - preparedness, response, decontamination, and PPE problems - which highlight challenges, uncertainties, inconsistencies, and obstacles associated with the ED CBRNe response. This review suggests that response planning and preparation should be considered at three levels: organizational (policies and procedures); technological (decontamination, communication, security, clinical care, and treatment); and individual (willingness to respond, PPE, knowledge, and competence). Finally, this study highlighted that there was a void specific to detection and diagnosis of CBRNe exposure on self-presenting patients in the ED.
Conclusion:
The review identified concerns for both knowledge and behaviors which suggests that a systems approach would help understand the ED response to CBRNe events more effectively. The four themes provide an evidence-based summary for the state of science in ED CBRNe response, which can be used to inform future policies and clinical procedures.
RazakS, HignettS, BarnesJ. Emergency Department Response to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Events: A Systematic Review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):543–549.
Routine advanced airway usage by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has had conflicting reports of being the secure airway of choice in pediatric patients.
Hypothesis/Problem
The primary objective was to describe a pediatric cohort requiring airway management upon their arrival directly from the scene to two pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). A secondary objective included assessing for associations in EMS airway management and patient outcomes.
Methods
Retrospective data from the health record were reviewed, including EMS reports, for all arrivals less than 18 years old to two PEDs who required airway support between May 2015 and July 2016. The EMS management was classified as basic (oxygen, continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP], or bag-valve-mask [BVM]) or advanced (supraglottic or endotracheal intubation [ETI]) based on EMS documentation. Outcomes included oxygenation as documented by receiving PED and hospital mortality.
Results
In total, 104 patients with an average age 5.9 (SD=5.1) years and median EMS Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of nine (IQR 3-14) were enrolled. Basic management was utilized in 70% of patients (passive: n=49; CPAP: n=2; BVM: n=22). Advanced management was utilized in 30% of patients (supraglottic: n=4; ETI: n=27). Proper ETI placement was achieved in 48% of attempted patients, with 41% of patients undergoing multiple attempts. Inadequate oxygenation occurred in 18% of patients, including four percent of ETI attempts, nine percent of BVM patients, and 32% of passively managed patients. Adjusted for EMS GCS, medical patients undergoing advanced airway management experienced higher risk of mortality (risk-ratio [RR] 2.98; 95% CI, 1.18-7.56; P=.021).
Conclusion
With exception to instances where ETI is clearly indicated, BVM management is effective in pediatric patients who required airway support, with ETI providing no definitive protective factors. Most of the patients who exhibited inadequate oxygenation upon arrival to the PED received only passive oxygenation by EMS.
TweedJ, GeorgeT, GreenwellC, VinsonL.Prehospital Airway Management Examined at Two Pediatric Emergency Centers. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):532–538.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become an important diagnostic tool for hospital-based clinicians. This study assesses the role of POCUS at Pemberton Music Festival 2016 (Pemberton, British Columbia [BC], Canada), a remote mass gathering where physicians face limited resources, complex disposition decisions, and a dynamic clinical environment.
Objectives
This study prospectively evaluated the impact of POCUS on patient diagnosis, management, and disposition based on the self-report of the study physicians. The authors hypothesized that having ultrasound available for use would aid in diagnostic and management decisions and would reduce the need to transfer patients off-site to other health care facilities, reducing impact on the acute health services in the host community.
Methods
A handheld ultrasound was available for use by physicians in the main medical tent. All participating physicians self-reported their training and comfort using POCUS. After each POCUS scan, physicians completed a survey and recorded the indication for use, scans performed, and impact on patient diagnosis, management, and disposition.
Results
In total, POCUS was used on 28 of the 686 patients treated in the main medical tent; POCUS was reported to narrow the differential diagnosis in 64% of cases and altered the working diagnosis in 21% of cases. Its use changed the management plan in 39% of patients. Its use was reported to reduce the burden on broader health care resource utilization in 46% of cases and prevented ambulance transport off-site in 32% of cases (nine cases in total). This corresponded to an absolute risk reduction of 1.3% for the percentage of patients transferred to hospital (PPTH; relative risk reduction of 53%).
Conclusion:
Physicians reported that POCUS improved the diagnosis, management, and disposition of select patients at a remote, multi-day music festival. Also, POCUS reduced ambulance transfers off-site and reduced the perceived burden on broader health care utilization.
PragerR, SedgwickC, LundA, KimD, HoB, StachuraM, GutmanS. Prospective Evaluation of Point-of-Care Ultrasound at a Remote, Multi-Day Music Festival. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):484–489.
Application of a tourniquet is the cornerstone in management of combat-related extremity hemorrhages. Continuous and appropriate training is required to use tourniquets correctly.
Hypothesis
The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of a refresher training session, conducted directly in the theater of military operations, on the performance of tourniquet use.
Methods
During their deployment (October 2015-April 2016) in the Central African Republic, a first simulation session evaluated soldiers from two combats platoons for the application of the SOFFT (Special Operation Forces Tactical Tourniquet; Tactical Medical Solutions; Anderson, South California USA) tourniquet. After randomization, a R (+) group underwent a refresher training session, while a R (−) group did not. Two months later, a second simulation session was conducted for both groups: R (+) and R (−). A dedicated score (one to seven points), including delay and effectiveness, evaluated the soldiers’ performance for tourniquet application.
Results
Twenty-six subjects were included in the R (+) group and 24 in the R (−) group. Between the two assessments, the score improved for 61.5% of subjects of the R (+) group and 37.5% subjects of the R (−) group (P=.09). More particularly, the performance score increased from 4.2 (SD=1.4) to 5.5 (SD=0.9; P=.002) in subjects of the R (+) group whose last training for tourniquet application was over six months prior.
Conclusion
A refresher tourniquet training session, conducted directly in a combat zone, is especially effective for soldiers whose last training session was over six months prior. A dedicated score can assess appropriately the performance of tourniquet training.
MartinezT, DuronS, SchaalJV, BaudoinY, BarbierO, DabanJL, BoutonnetM, AussetS, PasquierP. Tourniquet Training Program Assessed by a New Performance Score. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):519–525.
The Australian prehospital profession has not yet facilitated a comprehensive discussion regarding paramedic role and responsibility during disasters. Whether paramedics have a duty to treat under extreme conditions and what acceptable limitations may be placed on such a duty require urgent consideration. The purpose of this research is to encourage discussion within the paramedic profession and broader community on this important ethical and legal issue.
Methods
The authors employed qualitative methods to gather paramedic and community member perspectives in Victoria, Australia.
Results
These findings suggested that both paramedic and community member participants agree that acceptable limitations on paramedic duty to treat during disaster are required. These limitations should be based on consideration of the following factors: personal health circumstances (eg, pregnancy for female paramedics); pre-existing mental health conditions (eg, posttraumatic stress disorder/PTSD); competing personal obligations (eg, paramedics who are single parents); and unacceptable levels of personal risk (eg, risk of exposure and infection during a pandemic).
Conclusion
It is only with the engagement of a more broadly representative segment of the prehospital profession and greater Australian community that appropriate guidance on limiting standards of care under extreme conditions can be developed and integrated within prehospital care in Australia.
SmithE, BurkleFM Jr., GebbieK, FordD, BensimonC. Acceptable Limitations on Paramedic Duty to Treat During Disaster: A Qualitative Exploration. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):466–470.
The goal of this study was to find out the training received in Urgent and Emergency Medicine (UEM) by the Primary Health Care (PHC) physicians of Asturias (Spain), as well as their perception of their own theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a series of procedures employed in life-threatening emergencies (LTEs), and also to analyze the differences according to the geographical area of their work.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional survey of PHC physicians using an ad hoc survey of a sample of 213 physicians in Asturias regarding their self-perception of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in techniques used in LTEs by areas of work (rural, suburban, and urban). The interview was conducted by mail from April through May 2017. The data processing has used absolute and relative frequencies, as well as central tendency parameters and dispersion parameters. The estimates for the entire population have been made using confidence intervals for the mean of 95%. In the comparison of parameters, the differences between parameters with a probability of error less than five percent (P<.05) have been considered significant. For the comparison of means between the different techniques in the different areas of work, ANOVA was used.
Results
With respect to the training of physicians, in general, for managing emergencies, both at the regional level and by areas of work (rural, suburban, and urban), none of the sets analyzed attained five points. By areas of work, it was the suburban region where there was a greater average general level of knowledge. There were significant differences in the average theoretical knowledge and the average practical skills in the procedures studied according to the different areas of work. The greater number of significant differences was between the urban and suburban regions and within the urban area.
Conclusions:
It’s necessary to ensure an adequate homogeneity of the levels of theoretical knowledge and practical skills of PHC physicians in order to guarantee the equity of provision of health care in emergencies in different geographical areas.
Cernuda MartínezJA, Castro DelgadoR, Ferrero FernándezE, Arcos GonzálezP. Self-Perception of Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skills by Primary Health Care Physicians in Life-Threatening Emergencies. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):508–518.
Parents are a primary support for children following disasters, even though they face numerous challenges in addressing the physical and social consequences of an event. Parents who are directly exposed to a disaster and those who develop psychiatric disorders post-event are likely to be especially challenged and may be limited in their ability to support their children. This Brief Report describes a pilot study of survivors of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center (New York USA) attacks who reported their own psychosocial consequences and the reactions of their children three years post-event.
Hypotheses
The primary hypothesis of the study was that children’s September 11th reactions would be associated with their parents’ psychiatric status. Secondary hypotheses were that the children’s disaster reactions would be associated with direct exposure to the disaster in children and/or their parents, parent-child separation due to the disaster, and disaster-related school absence.
Methods
Approximately three years after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, 116 parents recruited from disaster-affected or disaster-related organizations were assessed using structured diagnostic interviews and queried about their children’s (188 youths, aged three to 17 years at the time of the attacks) posttraumatic stress symptoms and behavioral changes.
Results
Almost one-half of the parents had a post-disaster psychiatric disorder, including major depression in 27% and disaster-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 11%. More than three-fourths of the children had at least one disaster-related posttraumatic stress symptom, and more than one-half experienced at least one post-disaster behavior change. A minority of the children were reported to have increased school behavior problems or a decline in their grades. Key correlates of children’s disaster-related posttraumatic stress symptoms and post-disaster behavior changes were parent-child separation due to the disaster and parental post-disaster psychiatric disorders.
Conclusion
Because parents provide primary caretaking and support for children post-disaster, addressing the needs of parents is critical to their ability to assist their children. Reducing parents’ symptoms should increase their emotional availability and enhance their ability to address the needs of their children. Given the challenges in providing disaster interventions directly to children, especially when resources are limited, addressing parent psychopathology and distress (even in the absence of focusing on children’s symptoms) may benefit children.
PfefferbaumB, SimicZ, NorthCS. Parent-Reported Child Reactions to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center Attacks (New York USA) in Relation to Parent Post-Disaster Psychopathology Three Years After the Event. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):558–564.
A crucial component of a hospital’s disaster plan is an efficient staff recall communication method. Many hospitals use a “calling tree” protocol to contact staff members and recall them to work. Alternative staff recall methods have been proposed and explored.
Methods
An unannounced, multidisciplinary, randomized emergency department (ED) staff recall drill was conducted at night - when there is the greatest need for back-up personnel and staff is most difficult to reach. The drill was performed on December 14, 2017 at 4:00am and involved ED staff members from three hospitals which are all part of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC; Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Three tools were compared: manual phone tree, instant messaging application (IMA), and custom-made hospital Short Message Service (SMS) system. The key outcome measures were proportion of responses at 45 minutes and median response time.
Results
One-hundred thirty-two participants were recruited. There were 44 participants in each group after randomization. In the manual phone tree group, 18 (41%) responded within 45 minutes. In the IMA group, 11 participants (25%) responded in the first 45 minutes. In the SMS group, seven participants responded in the first 45 minutes (16%). Manual phone tree was significantly better than SMS with an effect size of 25% (95% confidence interval for effect: 4.6% to 45.0%; P=.018). Conversely, there was no significant difference between manual phone tree and IMA with an effect size of 16% (95% confidence interval for effect: −5.7% to 38.0%; P=.17) There was a statistically significant difference in the median response time between the three groups with the phone tree group presenting the lowest median response time (8.5 minutes; range: 2.0 to 8.5 minutes; P=.000006).
Conclusion:
Both the phone tree and IMA groups had a significantly higher response rate than the SMS group. There was no significant difference between the proportion of responses at 45 minutes in the phone tree and the IMA arms. This study suggests that an IMA may be a viable alternative to the traditional phone tree method. Limitations of the study include volunteer bias and the fact that there was only one communication drill, which did not allow staff members randomized to the IMA and SMS groups to fully get familiar with the new staff recall methods.
HomierV, HamadR, LarocqueJ, ChasséP, KhalilE, FrancJM.A Randomized Trial Comparing Telephone Tree, Text Messaging, and Instant Messaging App for Emergency Department Staff Recall for Disaster Response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):471–477.
Each year, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel respond to over 30 million calls for assistance in the United States alone. These EMS personnel have a rate of occupational fatality comparable to firefighters and police, and a rate of non-fatal injuries that is higher than the rates for police and firefighters and much higher than the national average for all workers. In Australia, no occupational group has a higher injury or fatality rate than EMS personnel. Emergency Medical Services personnel in the US have a rate of occupational violence injuries that is about 22-times higher than the average for all workers. On average, more than one EMS provider in the US is killed every year in an act of violence.
Hypothesis/Objective
The objective of this epidemiological study was to identify the risks and factors associated with work-related physical violence against EMS personnel internationally.
Methods
An online survey, based on a tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland), collected responses from April through November 2016.
Results
There were 1,778 EMS personnel respondents from 13 countries; 69% were male and 54% were married. Around 55% described their primary EMS work location as “urban.” Approximately 68% described their employer as a “public provider.” The majority of respondents were from the US.
When asked “Have you ever been physically attacked while on-duty?” 761 (65%) of the 1,172 who answered the question answered “Yes.” In almost 10% (67) of those incidents, the perpetrator used a weapon. Approximately 90% of the perpetrators were patients and around five percent were patient family members. The influence of alcohol and drugs was prevalent. Overall, men experienced more assaults than women, and younger workers experienced more assaults than older workers.
Conclusions:
In order to develop and implement measures to increase safety, EMS personnel must be involved with the research and implementation process. Furthermore, EMS agencies must work with university researchers to quantify agency-level risks and to develop, test, and implement interventions in such a way that they can be reliably evaluated and the results published in peer-reviewed journals.
MaguireBJ, BrowneM, O’NeillBJ, DealyMT, ClareD, O’MearaP. International Survey of Violence Against EMS Personnel: Physical Violence Report. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):526–531.
Unacceptable practices of health care providers during disasters have been observed because they work outside the scope of their daily practices and have inadequate training. A greater need for the involvement of health professionals in disaster management has been noted in Saudi Arabia. This study evaluates the efficacy of a training course in prehospital major incident management for health care providers in Saudi Arabia.
Methods
An interactive course for general principles in prehospital major incident management was developed with domains and core competencies. The course was designed according to the local context and was based on international standards. It was piloted over four days at the Officers Club of the Ministry of Interior (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) and was sponsored by Mohammed Bin Naif Medical Center, King Fahd Security College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The participants (n=29) were from different disciplines from main government health facilities in Riyadh. They completed a pre-test and a post-test.
Results
The overall score was 55.1% on the pre-test and 68.4% on the post-test (Wilcoxon test for paired samples, P <.05). Three out of the four domains had significant difference between pre- and post-test results, as well as the overall total knowledge.
Conclusion:
Conducting inter-disciplinary and competency-based disaster medicine courses for health care providers can augment appropriate disaster preparedness for major incidents in Saudi Arabia.
BajowNA, AlAssafWI, CluntunAA. Course in Prehospital Major Incidents Management for Health Care Providers in Saudi Arabia. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):587–595.
Through a longitudinal field experience and interviews with rural and urban clinic workers in Honduras, the following data were collated regarding the challenges to prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in this country. In Honduras, both private and public organizations provide prehospital emergency care for citizens and face both financial and resource constraints. These constraints manifest in operational concerns such as challenges of integration of EMS systems with each other, differences in medical direction oversight, and barriers to public access. Despite the availability of public health care services, authorities and locals alike do not recommend using the public systems due to lack of needed resources and time of emergency response.
Private volunteer EMS organizations are scattered throughout the country and each operates as their own separate system. There is no single dispatch center available, nor is there a guarantee that calling for EMS will result in the patient’s desired response. In this report, the challenges are discussed with possible solutions presented.
BastHE, JenkinsJL. Challenges to Prehospital Care in Honduras. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):637–639.
Located in the Sunda Megathrust zone, Mentawai Island is known as the epicenter of an active earthquake that has the potential to cause a tsunami. Students would be one of the most vulnerable groups during the disaster.
Problem
The low-level of School-Based Disaster Preparedness/Sekolah Siaga Bencana (SSB) of students’ preparedness in disaster risk reduction (DRR) can lead to increased vulnerability of students in facing disaster threats, especially a tsunami.
Methods
The study employed observational, correlative analytics with a cross-sectional approach. The sample includes 109 students from fifth and sixth grade in three elementary schools in Sipora, Mentawai Island district.
Results
There was a significant influence between knowledge and attitude towards the preparedness of SSB students in DRR in Sipora, Mentawai Islands district.
Conclusions:
Knowledge and attitudes are key factors that must be taken into account in efforts to increase student preparedness to reduce the risk of a tsunami disaster.
Sujarwo, Noorhamdani, Fathoni M. Disaster Risk Reduction in Schools: The Relationship of Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Preparedness from Elementary School Students in School-Based Disaster Preparedness in the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):581–586.