BACKGROUND In the United States (US), Medical Examiners and Coroners (ME/Cs) have the legal authority for the management of mass fatality incidents (MFI). Yet, preparedness and operational capabilities in this sector remain largely unknown. The purpose of this study was twofold; first, to identify appropriate measures of preparedness, and second, to assess preparedness levels and factors signif...

The risks to patients at August handover time are well known, yet there is no national consensus on the best way to deliver induction programmes for Foundation Year One (F1). The aim of this study was to design, deliver and assess a targeted structured induction programme for new F1 doctors. The induction training programme was designed using educational models of topic analysis informed by res...

BACKGROUND There are two main areas within emergency care which focus on departmental and staff preparedness in biological incidents. Despite the importance, little is known about the nurse's preparedness in facing these events. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the effect of two teaching methods (multimedia instructional module versus lecture presentation) on nurse's competency ...

According to WHO, one of these mass gatherings with critical risk is stampedes. Shanghai "12.31" stampede was a preventable tragedy that the government and event planner hold responsibility for. At the same time, it can be a legacy for improvement in the future. The government should draw experience on the implementation of an emergency preparedness system, in order to improve the rapid emergen...

To improve the level of preparedness against potential bioterrorist incidents, civilian medical communities in the United States have much to do. Developing effective responses hinge on information technologies namely detection, isolation, communications and education. This paper describes our efforts in integrating these technologies at the National Bioterrorism Civilian Medical Response Cente...

BACKGROUND Nowadays, application of nuclear technology in different industries has largely expanded worldwide. Proportionately, the risk of nuclear incidents and the resulting injuries have, therefore, increased in recent years. Preparedness is an important part of the crisis management cycle; therefore efficient preplanning seems crucial to any crisis management plan. Equipped with facilities ...

OBJECTIVES To measure physical assets in Australasian hospitals required for the management of mass casualties as a result of terrorism or natural disasters. DESIGN AND SETTING A cross-sectional survey of Australian and New Zealand hospitals. PARTICIPANTS All emergency department directors of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)-accredited hospitals, as well as private and non...

The ability to measure emergency preparedness-to predict the likely performance of emergency response systems in future events-is critical for policy analysis in homeland security. Yet it remains difficult to know how prepared a response system is to deal with large-scale incidents, whether it be a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or industrial or transportation accident. This research draws...

Forensic odontologists play an important role locally and nationally in assisting in the identification of the victims of mass fatality incidents, whether natural or human-made. With the recent passage of legislation by Congress identifying dentists as a first-responder resource, knowledge of their expanding role in disaster response is particularly important. The purpose of this article is to ...