The aim of this descriptive study was to assess diabetes self-management and health care demand procrastination behaviors among earthquake victims with type 2 diabetes.

The population of the study consisted of earthquake victims with Type 2 diabetes in Hatay, Türkiye. The sample included 202 people with type 2 diabetes who lived in 7 distinct container cities. Data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, Diabetes Self-Management Scale, and Healthcare Demand Procrastination Scale via face-to-face interviews.

Participants’ average score on the diabetes self-management scale was 58.34 ± 9.11. Being under the age of 60, employed, visiting a medical center on their own, having received diabetes education, and owning a glucometer were associated with better diabetes self-management, whereas being illiterate and having difficulty covering diabetes-related expenses were associated with poor diabetes management (P < 0.05). Participants’ average score on the Healthcare Demand Procrastination Scale was 2.35 ± 0.72. Respondents who didn’t have a nearby health care institution, whose diabetes diagnosis duration was between 1-5 years, and who didn’t have a glucometer had significantly higher scores on the Healthcare Demand Procrastination Scale (P < 0.05).

Diabetes self-management among earthquake victims with Type 2 diabetes was low. It was also determined that participants’ health care demand procrastination behaviors were at a moderate level.

Mass casualty incidents (MCI) overwhelm health care systems; however, MCIs are infrequent and require ongoing preparatory efforts. Although there is dedicated disaster medicine education in emergency medicine, most pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows complete pediatric residencies. Pediatric residents have variable exposure to disaster training as part of their curriculum. To improve this, a quality improvement (QI) initiative was implemented to increase MCI comfort and knowledge amongst PEM fellows.

This study took place in a single-center tertiary pediatric hospital, amongst 1 cohort of PEM fellows. Following a baseline survey, a key driver diagram was developed to guide Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. A focused disaster curriculum was provided to fellows and specific quick references were developed. Knowledge application interventions included mock triage, response scavenger hunt, and tabletop MCI exercise.

PEM fellow comfort and knowledge of MCI response improved from an average of 2.93 to 6.56 on a 10-point Likert scale, and 3.71 to 6.58 on 10-point Likert scale respectively following the active intervention cycle and showed sustained results over a 6-month period without further interventions.

Utilizing QI methodology, PEM fellow comfort with MCI response, and knowledge of MCI response increased. As MCIs are a rare occurrence, ongoing assessment is necessary to evaluate the need for further interventions to maintain knowledge and comfort levels.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a crucial intervention designed to mitigate the psychological impact of acute crises among individuals. PFA aims to equip health care providers with the necessary skills and knowledge to offer immediate psychosocial support, thereby reducing the potential for long-term mental health issues. This study assesses health care practitioners’ existing knowledge and skills in PFA.

We searched PubMed, Psych INFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases from April 1, 2023 to August 7, 2023, for studies published within 10 years that reported knowledge and skills of health care workers on PFA. A qualitative synthesis was performed on the selected studies.

Out of the 626 resulting studies, 12 were eligible. Self-efficacy was used to determine the effectiveness of psychological first-aid training. Passage of time had a significant impact on health care workers’ understanding of proper psychosocial responses. PFA training is effective in providing psychological assistance to health personnel. The longer-term effects of the PFA training program are unknown.

The findings highlight the effectiveness of PFA training in improving health care providers’ knowledge and skills, calling for ongoing efforts to address challenges, adapt training approaches, and ensure the continued improvement of psychosocial support in acute crises.

This study aims to determine the effect of death anxiety on the life satisfaction of individuals living in 11 provinces declared as earthquake zones in Turkey.

This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 435 participants in earthquake zones in Turkey. Data were collected online through Google Forms using a sociodemographic form, the Revised Death Anxiety Scale (RDAS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).

In this study, it was determined that 48.5% of the participants exhibited moderate levels of death anxiety. The participants’ average score on the RDAS was 53.97 (SD = 16.21), and their mean score on the SWLS was 12.30 (SD = 4.33).

This study showed that death anxiety adversely affects life satisfaction. Higher death anxiety among participants was associated with lower satisfaction with life. Consequently, health care professionals should offer increased psychological and communication support to individuals who have experienced significant disasters like earthquakes.

Health workers are one of the work groups that have the biggest role in overcoming the crises that occur with disasters. It is very critical for health care workers to be healthy, happy and productive both for overcoming crises with minimal damage and for a healthy society. This study aimed to examine the anxiety levels of health care workers after the Kahramanmaraş earthquake and to evaluate the effect of earthquake anxiety on the level of perceived stress and work-family conflict.

It is a cross-sectional study. The sample of this study, which was conducted approximately 9 months after the earthquake, consisted of 150 health care workers working in a private hospital in Gaziantep.

It was observed that the post-earthquake anxiety levels of health care workers were above average. It has been found that earthquake anxiety significantly affects both perceived stress and the level of work-family conflict. Additionally, it was determined that the explanatory nature of the model increased by 4.5% with the inclusion of perceived stress and educational level on the effect of earthquake anxiety on work-family conflict.

More research is needed to evaluate the mental state of health care workers after the earthquake, to ensure positive development and to put forward appropriate strategies.

The outbreak of major epidemics, such as COVID-19, has had a significant impact on supply chains. This study aimed to explore knowledge innovation in the field of emergency supply chain during pandemics with a systematic quantitative analysis.

Based on the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection, proposing a 3-stage systematic analysis framework, and utilizing bibliometrics, Dynamic Topic Models (DTM), and regression analysis to comprehensively examine supply chain innovations triggered by pandemics.

A total of 888 literature were obtained from the WOS database. There was a surge in the number of publications in recent years, indicating a new field of research on Pandemic Triggered Emergency Supply Chain (PTESC) is gradually forming. Through a 3-stage analysis, this study identifies the literature knowledge base and distribution of research hotspots in this field and predicts future research hotspots and trends mainly boil down to 3 aspects: pandemic-triggered emergency supply chain innovations in key industries, management, and technologies.

COVID-19 strengthened academic exchange and cooperation and promoted knowledge output in this field. This study provides an in-depth perspective on emergency supply chain research and helps researchers understand the overall landscape of the field, identifying future research directions.

The objective of this study is to develop a conceptual framework for use cases applicable to the development of an Internet of Things (IoT) system, designed for intelligent environments capable of managing the pandemic.

To achieve this objective, a comprehensive content analysis of scholarly articles from MDPI, PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted. Best practices were identified, and various application examples were synthesized to establish an IoT-based framework.

The study proposes measures for the implementation of technologically advanced environments and services while ensuring public compliance with these developments. Based on the identified use cases and enabled applications, a conceptual framework was formulated. The key use cases for IoT applications include traffic management, patient health monitoring, early virus detection, remote work facilitation, smart hygiene solutions, tracking infected individuals, monitoring social distancing, enhancing health care facilities, and ensuring quarantine compliance. To ensure rapid and effective implementation of policies, regulations, and government orders, robust architecture, applications, and technological infrastructures must be developed.

This study explores new architectural frameworks, potential use cases, and avenues for future advancements in IoT-based applications. The use cases are categorized as near-field measures, hybrid measures, centralized control mechanisms, and their integration in the defense against COVID-19.

In England, the Civil Contingencies Act (Contingency Planning) Regulations 2005 require National Health Service (NHS) Trusts which provide hospital accommodation and services in relation to accidents or emergencies to conduct Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) exercises. The NHS England EPRR Framework specifies the minimum frequencies of these exercises. This review assessed the number of Trusts conducting exercises in accordance with these frequencies one year after the national NHS COVID-19 response was stepped down.

The outcome of interest was the number of Trusts having a record of conducting their most recent exercises in accordance with the minimum frequencies required by the NHS England EPRR Framework.

Of the applicable 122 Trusts, 95 had a record of conducting a communication systems exercise, 115 had a record of conducting a table-top exercise, 106 had a record of conducting a live play exercise and 90 had a record of conducting a command post exercise in accordance with the minimum frequencies.

Over one fifth of Trusts did not have a record of conducting an EPRR communications systems exercise as required. This review may also be of interest to other state-level bodies which specify high level EPRR requirements to healthcare providers.

Tissue injuries that occur after earthquakes are usually traumatic and cause various anatomical damages. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an increasingly popular treatment modality for such tissue injuries because it has the potential to accelerate the healing process of tissues by providing effective oxygen.

This study aimed to present a retrospective evaluation of the effects and outcomes of HBOT in patients with tissue damage after earthquakes, thus contributing to the development of medical intervention strategies following natural disasters.

This study included 51 patients treated as earthquake victims in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Unit. Information regarding the earthquake victims was obtained retrospectively and relevant analyses were conducted. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) and related variables.

Sensory and functional recovery rates were 64.7% and 62.7%, respectively, after HBOT. After treatment, 10 (19.6%) patients had a minor amputation, and 5 (9.8%) patients had a major amputation. As patients’ MESS Scores increased, the rate of amputation did not increase (P < 0.05), but the rate of recovery of sensation and function in the recovered extremities decreased (P < 0.05). No patient died during treatment.

These results suggest that HBOT can protect life and limb in earthquake injuries, but also save numb and non-functioning limbs in severe cases.

This study aimed to determine the health needs of individuals with non-communicable diseases affected by earthquakes.

The study employed a descriptive and cross-sectional design and was conducted in 3 of the 11 provinces affected by the February 6, 2023 earthquakes. Data were obtained using an introductory information form and a health needs information form. Percentages, averages, McNemar’s test, and classification and regression tree algorithm for decision tree analysis were used to evaluate the data.

Among the participants, 34.87% had hypertension, 27.95% had diabetes, and 14.12% had asthma. Compared to the pre-earthquake period, the participants’ needs for medication, transportation to hospital, disease-specific nutrition, and social support significantly increased after the earthquake (P<0.05). This study revealed that participants with faced challenges in accessing the medicines, hospitals, medical devices, and disease-specific nutrition required for disease management during the early post-earthquake period, experiencing delays or no access. Among the identified health needs, participants with hypertension and diabetes require access to healthy nutrition, while those with asthma have a heightened need for clean air.

Conducting health screenings in tent cities without requiring individual attendance at health tents and promptly identifying and addressing health needs in the early period are strongly recommended.

The threat of novel pathogens and natural hazards is increasing as global temperatures warm, leading to more frequent and severe occurrences of infectious disease outbreaks and major hurricanes. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need to examine how risk perceptions related to hurricane evacuations shift when vaccines become available. This study explores individuals’ expected evacuation plans during the early stages of COVID-19 vaccine availability.

In March 2021, an online survey was disseminated in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

An overwhelming majority (72.6%) of respondents said that their vaccination status would not affect their hurricane evacuation intentions. The unvaccinated were significantly more likely to consider evacuating during a hurricane than the vaccinated. Even with vaccines available, respondents suggested they were less likely to evacuate to a shelter during the 2021 season than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents generally believed that the risk of contracting COVID-19 at a shelter was greater than the risk of sheltering-in-place during a hurricane.

Government officials need to develop and communicate clear information regarding evacuation orders for municipalities that may be more impacted than others based on the trajectory of the storm, social determinants of health, and other factors like living in a flood zone.

Communication is one of the main foundations for providing nursing care. Due to intercountry mobility, nurses encounter communication barriers with patients and their families, such as language and sociocultural differences.

This study was conducted to investigate the experiences of pediatric nurses in caring for refugee children. The phenomenological study was conducted between November 2023 and February 2024 with 16 pediatric nurses working in the inpatient wards of Istanbul Prof. Dr. Cemil Tascioglu City Hospital Pediatrics Clinic who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and voice recordings. After the interviews were transcribed, the MAXQDA 2022 program was used for coding, creating themes, and analyzing the relationship between codes and sub-codes.

The nurses revealed themes of the care process, difficulties related to the patient, communication methods, risks in patient safety, feelings experienced about the ineffective communication, and suggestions. The main codes obtained from the themes were loss of time, difficulties in communication and training, difficulties arising from cultural practices, using body language, wrong practices regarding patient safety, sadness and fatigue experienced when there is no communication, and the need for learning Turkish.

The pediatric nurses had problems with communication and felt sadness about caring for refugee children. The problem of loss of time in giving care due to language and sociocultural differences, and the suggestion of learning Turkish as the solution come to the fore. It is necessary to carry out comprehensive research on this subject.

Mindfulness is a promising psychological resource that can alleviate dysfunctional fear responses and promote mental health. We investigated how mindfulness affects fear and depression in isolated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and whether it acts as a mediator.

We conducted an online survey of COVID-19 patients undergoing at-home treatment from February to April 2022. The survey included a questionnaire on fear of COVID-19 (measured by the Fear of COVID-19 Scale), mindfulness (measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), and depression (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire). A total of 380 participants completed the questionnaire. We analyzed the correlation between each variable and performed a mediation analysis using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping to verify the statistical significance of the mediating effects.

Each variable was significantly correlated. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the association between the fear of COVID-19 and depression decreased from 0.377-0.255, suggesting that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression. Bootstrapping analysis showed that the indirect effect of the mediating variable (mindfulness) is 0.121, which accounts for 32.3% of the total effect.

Interventions that promote mindfulness in patients with acute COVID-19 may be beneficial for their mental health.

Nursing Home residents are among the most at-risk populations during disasters. This study aimed to examine changes in nursing home non-COVID-19 mortality in Texas during Winter Storm Uri.

Publicly available datasets were examined to determine whether nursing homes in Texas were associated with a change in non-COVID-19 nursing home mortality and a change in non-COVID-19 mortality differences compared to all other states in the 4 weeks following Winter Storm Uri. This study conducted a mixed-effects negative binomial spline analysis of non-COVID-19 mortality during the timeframe.

Although Texas suffered fewer deaths overall compared to the rest of the country, Texas experienced a 20% increase in non-COVID-19 deaths in the first 7 days of Winter Storm Uri, and a reduction in the change of deaths compared to all other states, indicating a 19% decrease in the difference between the 2 directly following the storm.

Texas suffered a significant increase in non-COVID-19 nursing home mortality during Winter Storm Uri, but overall lower levels of mortality compared to the rest of the nation. Future research should examine other states or counties that experienced significant energy outages for a more comprehensive understanding of the storm’s effects.