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Improvised Neonatal Care–Realizing the Gaps in a Disaster Zone

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2015

Joseph Mendlovic
Affiliation:
Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel Ministry of Health, Government of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
Dov Albukrek
Affiliation:
Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel
David Dagan
Affiliation:
Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel
Ofer Merin
Affiliation:
Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Giora Weiser*
Affiliation:
Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
*
Correspondence: Giora Weiser, MD Pediatric Emergency Department Shaare Zedek Medical Center 12 Shmuel Bait Street Jerusalem, Israel 93722 E-mail: gioraweiser@gmail.com

Abstract

The treatment of newborns in a disaster zone can be extremely challenging. The effects of the disaster combine with local health care disparity to give these neonates little chance of survival in the event of even minor complications. Rescue teams arriving at such locations must be prepared to handle and to aid these difficult situations using improvisation and ingenuity to overcome many of the unexpected hurdles. A discussion of the difficulties faced in the Philippines following a typhoon and recommendations for future teams are presented.

Mendlovic J, Albukrek D, Dagan D, Merin O, Weiser G. Improvised Neonatal Care–Realizing the Gaps in a Disaster Zone. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(1):111–113.

Type
Field Reports
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015 

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