Disaster medicine and public health preparedness
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Disaster Med Public Health Prep · Dec 2014
Assessing electronic death registration and american red cross systems for mortality surveillance during Hurricane Sandy, October 29-November 10, 2012, New York City.
We briefly describe 2 systems that provided disaster-related mortality surveillance during and after Hurricane Sandy in New York City, namely, the New York City Health Department Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) and the American Red Cross paper-based tracking system. ⋯ Our findings indicate that a number of steps have the potential to improve disaster-related mortality surveillance, including updating Red Cross surveillance forms and electronic databases to enhance timeliness assessments, greater collaboration across agencies to share and use data for public health preparedness, and continued expansion of electronic death registration systems.
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Disaster Med Public Health Prep · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyComparison of injury epidemiology between the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes in Sichuan, China.
We aimed to compare injury characteristics and the timing of admissions and surgeries in the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and the Lushan earthquake in 2013. ⋯ Greater seismic intensity of an earthquake is associated with longer delay between the event and the peak in patient admissions and surgeries, higher frequencies of injuries due to being struck or buried, and lower frequencies of injuries due to falls and injuries to the chest and brain. These insights may prove useful for planning rescue interventions in trauma centers near the epicenter.
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Disaster Med Public Health Prep · Dec 2014
Impact of natural disaster combined with nuclear power plant accidents on local medical services: a case study of Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
To elucidate the impacts of nuclear plant accidents on neighboring medical centers, we investigated the operations of our hospital within the first 10 days of the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. ⋯ After the disaster, hospitals located within the evacuation zone of a 30-km radius of the nuclear power plant were isolated. Maintenance of the health care system in such an event becomes difficult.
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Disaster Med Public Health Prep · Dec 2014
Experience from the Great East Japan Earthquake response as the basis for revising the Japanese Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) training program.
The objective of this study was to draft a new Japanese Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) training program based on the responses to the Great East Japan Earthquake. ⋯ The revised DMAT training program will provide practical training better suited to the present circumstances in Japan.
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Disaster Med Public Health Prep · Dec 2014
Perceptions of the utility and acceptability of an emergency child minding service for health staff.
Tropical Cyclone Yasi in North Queensland activated the disaster management plans at The Townsville Hospital, including the establishment of an emergency child minding service to facilitate the return of staff to work. ⋯ The provision of an emergency child minding service facilitated the return to work of health care staff immediately after Tropical Cyclone Yasi. More research is needed to understand the effect disaster type has on the uptake of a child minding service.