Radiological safety and radiation emergency preparedness

Development of a medical resource database for radiological emergency preparedness.

In order for Canada to be better prepared to respond quickly to a radiological or nuclear emergency detailed knowledge regarding the locations and capacities of hospitals, relevant medical supplies and radiological or nuclear professionals is needed. These key points of information were identified at a CRTI workshop in 2009, and it was proposed that a medical resource database (MRD) was require...

Toward radiological preparedness.

Through the use of focus group discussions, the authors have identified a critical information gap on the part of our nation’s emergency care providers with respect to radiological emergencies. The issues raised in the article highlight the importance of a central source of authoritative information and guidance accessible to providers at the time of an event as well as to those individuals res...

Emergency preparedness and disability.

Hospital preparedness for chemical and radiological disasters.

Hospital planning for chemical or radiological events is essential but all too often treated as a low priority. Although some other types of disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes may be more frequent, chemical and radiological emergencies have the potential for major disruptions to clinical care. Thorough planning can mitigate the impact of a chemical or radiological event. Planning needs to ...

Nuclear/radiological terrorism: emergency department management of radiation casualties.

Recent world events have increased concern that hospitals must be prepared for radiological emergencies. Emergency departments (EDs) must be ready to treat patients suffering from injuries in combination with radiation exposure or contamination with radioactive material. Every hospital should have a Radiological Emergency Medical Response Plan, tested through periodic drills, which will allow e...