Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · May 2008
Evaluation of manual cuff palpation to confirm proper endotracheal tube depth.
In the prehospital setting, optimal endotracheal tube (ETT) depth may be approximated using the patient's sex or height, and assessed by auscultation. Even when using these methods, the ETTs still may be placed at inappropriate depths. ⋯ Manual cuff palpation is a simple and reproducible technique that is sensitive, but nonspecific, in identifying intubations of appropriate depth.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · May 2008
Disaster and emergency management: Canadian nurses' perceptions of preparedness on hospital front lines.
Three years following the global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a national, Web-based survey of Canadian nurses was conducted to assess perceptions of preparedness for disasters and access to support mechanisms, particularly for nurses in emergency and critical care units. ⋯ Canadian nurses have indicated that considerably more training and information are needed to enhance preparedness for frontline healthcare workers as important members of the response community.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · May 2008
Comparative StudyComparative analysis of the Japanese version of the revised impact of event scale: a study of firefighters.
The Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R) has been used in various epidemiological studies to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies using the IES-R Japanese version to assess the mental health of firefighters were based on the premise that firefighters had experienced a traumatic event(s) as a matter of course. However, use of the IES-R-J does not indicate whether or not a traumatic event was experienced. The purpose of this study is to clarify the differences between: (1) IES-R-J high and low score groups; and (2) those who report symptoms similar to those of PTSD with and without having been being exposed to a traumatic event. ⋯ Although the IES-R is an easily-administered tool useful in epidemiological studies evaluating psychological stress, it is recommended that the questionnaire be amended to include a question regarding the existence of a threatened experience or event and to analyze the data using positive and negative predictive value methodology.
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On 24 September 2005, Hurricane Rita made landfall in eastern Texas, resulting in the mandatory evacuation of 16 counties and declaration of disaster areas in 22 counties afterward. ⋯ During an evacuation, total poison center call volume in the affected area may decline, although certain calls such as those involving gasoline exposures might increase. After a hurricane, the total call volume returns to normal, but certain calls such as those involving carbon monoxide and gasoline exposures may increase. This information allows for poison centers and public health providers to prepare their response to hurricanes and to educate the population before such events occurs.