Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Jul 2004
ReviewEffectiveness of hospital staff mass-casualty incident training methods: a systematic literature review.
Recently, mass-casualty incident (MCI) preparedness and training has received increasing attention at the hospital level. ⋯ Current evidence on the effectiveness of MCI training for hospital staff is limited. A number of studies suggest that disaster drills can be effective in training hospital staff. However, more attention should be directed to evaluating the effectiveness of disaster training activities in a scientifically rigorous manner.
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This study investigated the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms among professional ambulance personnel in Sweden and investigated the question: "Does self-knowledge have influence on how well one copes with the effects of daily work exposure from such events?" Little is known about the variables that might be associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms in high-risk occupational groups such as ambulance service groups. ⋯ The mental health and emotional well-being of ambulance personnel appear to be compromised by accident and emergency work. The high prevalence of PTSD symptoms in ambulance personnel indicates an inability to cope with post-traumatic stress caused by daily work experiences.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Jul 2004
Public health preparedness for mass-casualty events: a 2002 state-by-state assessment.
The ongoing threat of a terrorist attack places public agencies under increasing pressure to ensure readiness in the event of a disaster. Yet, little published information exists regarding the current state of readiness, which would allow local and regional organizations to develop disaster preparedness plans that would function seamlessly across service areas. The objective of this study is to characterize state-level disaster readiness soon after September 2001 and correlate readiness with existing programs providing an organized response to medical emergencies. ⋯ These findings suggest that disaster plans are prevalent among states. However, key programs and policies were noticeably absent. Communication systems remain fragmented and adequate training programs and protective equipment for health personnel are markedly lacking. Statewide trauma systems may provide a framework upon which to build future medical disaster readiness capacity.