HOSPITALS ARCHIVES
Protecting Civilian Emergency Responders Against Anthrax
Thomas K. Zink
October 10, 2012
There is general agreement that the best way to protect emergency responders against anthrax would be to immunize them prior to an attack. But, despite the fact that millions of “expired” doses of anthrax vaccine are routinely destroyed each year, many civilian responders still are not provided pre-event vaccinations. This
Breaking the Rules to Save Lives
Joseph Cahill
October 3, 2012
No two emergency scenarios are identical and some may call for “creative” solutions – for example, overriding triage strategies for victims of a weapon of mass destruction or substituting medications for scarce countermeasures. Understanding the rules and how far they can “bend” in a crisis situation may help save not
Nontraditional Partnerships Advance Medical Countermeasure Dispensing
Greg Burel
October 3, 2012
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is changing the dynamics of public-private partnerships as they relate to medical countermeasures for public health threats. By using nontraditional partnerships, CDC is not only providing easier access but also reducing the time needed to dispense large quantities of antiviral drugs,
Hospital Response to a 10-Kiloton Nuclear Detonation
Craig DeAtley
September 25, 2012
Article Out Loud For many years, federal, state, and local authorities throughout the United States have planned and trained for the notional possibility of a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device being detonated within a major metropolitan area. If that were to occur, the hundreds of thousands of fatalities and life-threatening injuries
Public Health Response & Severe Weather Emergencies
Audrey Mazurek
September 24, 2012
Public health professionals are constantly building the capacity and capabilities needed to respond to a variety of possible emergencies such as biological events, pandemic influenza, emerging diseases, manmade disasters, and a host of other dangers.
Hospitals Must Prepare Now for Future Contingencies
Theodore Tully
September 19, 2012
Considering the financial constraints already in place, and the likelihood that there will be continuing reductions in federal grant funds for preparedness, the challenge facing U.S. hospitals and other healthcare facilities to do more with less has perhaps never been greater. More specifically, in preparedness planning and operations, very few
Radiation Contamination of Emergency Equipment
Joseph Cahill
September 5, 2012
In 1945, Nagasaki became the second Japanese city destroyed by an atomic bomb in the closing days of World War II. The nuclear explosion caused immediate damage and killed tens of thousands of people, but the radiological contamination that remained took many additional lives. A crisis at a nuclear power
Countermeasures to Cope With Radioactive Exposure
W. Craig Vanderwagen
September 5, 2012
The threat posed by an intentional manmade explosion from a radiation dispersal device, a nuclear detonation, or an accidental failure of a nuclear power plant persists. Recent events have brought these threats into focus over the past couple years – e.g., the Iranian plans for nuclear development and the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear
DPJ Book Review: Centerline
Randall (Randy) Larsen
August 28, 2012
“Everybody who goes to war gets shot,” one soldier says. “Some in the body. Some in the head. Some in the heart.” The National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (NCVAS) estimates that, as of 30 September 2011, the nation’s veteran population is more than 22.2 million. Although the journey
Radiation Resources for First Responders
George Mills
August 22, 2012
There is no room for error during a radiological event. For that reason, information must be readily available and as accurate as possible. Listen to subject matter experts from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as they discuss the types
Building/Improving Community Health Resilience
Jeffrey Stiefel
August 1, 2012
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, reporters show images of communities that are faced with destruction and a need to rebuild. However, there is often an even greater devastation with even harder pieces to pick up – the mental and physical health effects. Both types of recovery are required
The Fallacy of Disaster Resilience
Joseph Cahill
August 1, 2012
Doctors, nurses, and other highly visible professionals get the greatest credit, deservedly, in most public-health incidents and events. Playing increasingly important roles, though – before, during, and after such incidents – are the nation’s unsung and much less publicized sanitarians whose special expertise in numerous operational scenarios is finally being
Follow Us
Get Instant Access
Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.
