A mass casualty incident (MCI) is unpredictable and involves many casualties at the same time and place. This brief report will present the results from an evaluation a full-scale MCI exercise, aiming to increase preparedness for such events, from the perspectives of future health-care professionals, as well as personnel in various emergency teams taking part in MCI response.

All participants in a 2-day, full-scale MCI exercise (N = 206) were invited to participate in an investigator-developed survey.

In total, 124 participants (60.2%) responded to the questionnaire. Most of the respondents were satisfied with the information and frames of the full-scale MCI exercise. Based on their experiences, over half of the respondents perceived that the county ambulance, police, and fire departments were well prepared in case of an MCI in the future. Reported areas of improvement were specifically related to communication lines and triage.

Weakness in communication lines and triage were assumed a threat to effective handling of MCIs. However, further studies are needed to decide the content needed in MCI exercises to effectively increase regional preparedness for such events.

This study evaluates the Emergency Medical Service system and overall emergency preparedness by analyzing ambulance-transported patients during the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, focusing on those without earthquake-related injuries (medical emergencies and traumas not caused by earthquakes).

A retrospective, observational case series was conducted, involving patients aged 18 and above transported by ambulance between February 6 and March 6, 2023. Patient demographic characteristics, vital signs, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes were recorded. Predisposing factors for ambulance transportation including post-earthquake health facility issues, housing problems, hygiene, heating, and smoke exposure were meticulously analyzed.

The study included 1872 patients, with a 55.4% hospitalization rate and a 13.7% mortality rate. Cardiovascular emergencies were the primary reason for admission (28.9%). Patients from the hospital in the study’s location form Group 1, whereas those from other earthquake-affected provinces constitute Group 2. Significant predisposing factors for ambulance transportation included post-earthquake health facilities (P < 0.001), housing problems (P < 0.001), hygiene (P < 0.001), heating (P = 0.001), and smoke exposure (P < 0.001). In Group 2, pneumonia (P = 0.001), soft tissue infection (P = 0.002), sepsis (P = 0.004), carbon monoxide poisoning (P < 0.001), and diabetic emergencies (P = 0.013) were statistically significantly more frequent.

Analyzing post-earthquake ambulance-transported patients is vital to comprehend the demand for emergency health care and address post-disaster health care challenges.

Nuclear radiological emergencies are classified as low frequency, but high impact events. Radiophobia and fear of deleterious outcomes often evokes hesitancy among responders. This review explored PPE use as a protective mechanism for responders’ safety and identified tools that promote PPE efficacy among first responders during nuclear radiological events.

A systematic literature review was conducted using five scientific databases. More than 5,500 articles were screened to identify literature relating to “PPE use” by first responders during “nuclear radiological events”.

Regulatory agencies such as the IAEA and the NRC assert that PPE, (when worn correctly and consistently) minimizes radiation exposure. Adequate training of first responders emerged as a critical determinant to support appropriate PPE selection and usage during radiological emergencies. This included new employee trainings and refresher courses for existing employees. Pedagogical tools highlighted in the literature included tabletop exercises, safety huddles, trial runs for donning and doffing of new gear (with emphasis on air-fed suits), just-in-time training and virtual reality simulations.

Education on the effective use of PPE is essential to promote self-efficacy among medical staff and other first responders during nuclear radiological events. Comprehensive training will reduce unintended exposures, decrease hesitancy, and maximize employee safety.

Small island developing states in the Eastern Caribbean face a dual burden of climate-related disasters and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). While the relationship between disasters and health has been demonstrated for acute emergencies, there is limited understanding of the impacts of repeated disaster exposure on NCD management and control. The Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) leverages its robust community-driven network for data sharing and implementation science related to furthering our understanding of the intersection of disaster exposure and NCDs.

The ECHORN cohort study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study characterizing risk and protective factors for NCDs in the Eastern Caribbean. The cohort (N=2,961) was empaneled between 2013-2018 across four sites. Regional partners identified disaster exposure as a priority for research and coordination moving forward.

ECHORN Wave III includes a disaster exposure survey to analyze the impact of exposure to repeated climate events and natural disasters (COVID19, earthquakes) on NCD management in the Eastern Caribbean. This first-of-its-kind study offers a data-driven approach to sustainable NCD management and climate-resilient policy development.

With the anticipated acceleration of NCDs and disasters across the Caribbean, ECHORN’s work to inform disaster-resilient NCD management and control is imperative and time-sensitive.

Since COVID-19, Indonesia has legalized telemedicine in medical services, including Return to Work (RTW). RTW programs help occupational injury-disabled workers return to work. This research examines how telemedicine supports RTW for employees with occupational injuries.

The study used Interrupted Time Series Analysis (ITSA) to find patterns and trends in RTW program telemedicine case numbers and claim settlements over time. A total of 1 314 data were obtained from the Indonesian National Social Security Agency on Employment (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) from July 1, 2015, to December 2022.

Telemedicine reduces the frequency of recurrent occupational injuries in persons with impairments (Relative Risk [RR] = 0.59). In addition, the integration of telemedicine into health care practices exhibits promising prospects in terms of mitigating the financial burden on social security programs. This is supported by a robust RR (0.6).

Telemedicine reduced the number of repeat cases and optimized medical claims cost in the RTW program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results will contribute to policy and assist health care professionals and employers in improving RTW outcomes for disabled people.

The initial emergence of SARS-CoV-2 created uncertainty for humanity, driving people to seek assistance on social media. This study aims to understand the role of social media in coping with crises and to offer guidance for future uncertainties by examining the experiences of Wuhan during the early stages of the pandemic.

Using quantitative content analysis, this study investigated 2207 Weibo posts tagged with “COVID-19 Mutual Aid” from individuals located in Wuhan during the early lockdown period from January 23, 2020, to March 23, 2020.

At the start of pandemic, messages seeking tangible support were most common. A hurdle regression model showed that deeper self-disclosure led to more retransmission of help-seeking messages. The Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that health professionals and laypeople had different self-disclosure strategies.

This study provides insight into the online social support exchange during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, highlighting the importance of self-disclosure on message retransmission, and the differences in self-disclosure strategies between health professionals and laypeople in online help-seeking.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of post-earthquake trauma levels of nursing students on their academic motivation and career decisions.

The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 228 students studying at Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University, Department of Nursing. The data were collected using an online questionnaire created by the researchers. This online questionnaire form consists of seven questions about socio-demographic characteristics, and it also includes the Determination of Post-Earthquake Trauma Levels Scale, Academic Motivation Scale, and Career Decision Scale. SPSS 23.0 package program was used for the analysis of the data, and P < 0.05 was accepted for the level of significance.

It was determined that the post-earthquake trauma level of the students was above the moderate level (63.49 ± 17.29) and that the extrinsic motivation-identified regulation, extrinsic motivation-external motivation, and intrinsic-knowledge levels were more affected by the earthquake (P < 0.05). In addition, it was determined that the mean Career Decision Scale score of the students (74.20 ± 17.35) was below the average.

It was determined that post-earthquake trauma level had positive effects on intrinsic motivation-stimulation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation, but had no effect on career decision.

Following a disaster, a pseudo-epidemic can occur due to redundant and duplicated data caused by infrastructure and information system disruptions. This study aims to investigate whether there have been improvements the post-disaster surveillance system in the comparison of diarrhea incidents between Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, and Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia.

We conducted an analysis of the epidemic-prone disease diarrhea before and during disasters, comparing the data with secondary data from the Early Warning Alert and Response System (EWARS) and the District Health Information System V.02 (DHIS-2).

In central Sulawesi in 2018 and Cianjur in 2022, we observed an upsurge in diarrhea cases in the first week after the disaster. Although diarrhea cases increased after the disaster, they remained within acceptable outbreak criteria. Multiplication and redundant data were detected in the DHIS-2 system in Central Sulawesi, likely leading to erroneous overreporting. Changes in surveillance officers and their personal experiences during the disaster contributed to data inconsistencies. As compared to Central Sulawesi, the DHIS-2 reporting form in Cianjur was simplified as an individual form to enhance efficiency and accuracy.

Enhancing valid assessment and conducting thorough investigations are essential to improve surveillance protocols for epidemic-prone diseases following disasters.

In a model of military-civilian trauma system integration, coordination of mass casualty incident response by military and civilian entities could be more effective through reduced duplication of services and improved resource utilization. The following study seeks to examine and address the challenges faced in establishing integrated trauma systems.

Through a survey this study comprehensively gathered data on trauma system capabilities and the current degree of military-civilian integration of 73 individual countries. Through a scoring method based on participant responses, countries were classified into three distinct integration types, ranging from minimal (Type I) to robust (Type III). This method allowed analysis of the association of numerous trauma system factors with increased integration status.

A higher integration status is associated with coordinated use of military and civilian resources for aero-medical evacuation (Chi Square p<0.05). With regards to resource utilization, countries with higher integration status exhibited more rapid availability of blood products (Chi Square p<0.05), a critical factor contributing to improved mortality among traumatically injured patients.

By identifying key areas where integration can be strengthened, and by understanding the underlying factors shaping these frameworks, this research seeks to build more collaborative and resource-efficient responses to mass casualty incidents globally.

This article sought to explore how older people maintained their health and managed chronic conditions during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, floods, and COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. This knowledge is important in the context of intersecting public health and environmental hazards.

Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 19 community-dwelling older people living in South Eastern New South Wales, a region significantly impacted by the successive disasters.

Three themes summarized participants’ experiences. Participants described disruption to daily activities and social networks, delayed treatment and disruption to health services, and the exacerbation of health issues and emergence of new health challenges as challenges to managing health and self-care. Strategies for staying healthy were described as drawing on connections and relationships and maintaining a sense of normalcy. Finally, the compounding nature of disasters highlighted the impact of successive events.

Understanding older people’s experiences of self-care during disasters is critical for developing interventions that are better targeted to their needs. This study highlights the importance of social connectedness, habit, and routine in health and well-being. Results should inform policymaking and guide interventions in health care for older people.

Rinsing only with water or washing with soap and water are common methods of skin decontamination for skin contaminated during a chemical hazard release. The null hypothesis was that a 15-minute water irrigation (decontamination method 1) would not be superior to decontamination using a microfiber towel, followed by a wet wipe (Signature Select Softly Flushable Tissue Better Living Brands LLC, Pleasanton, CA), followed by using another microfiber towel (decontamination method 2).

A simulated contaminant (Magic Fluorescent Glow Paint for Face and Body, iLC Shenzhen Fulimei Technology Co. LTD, Shenzhen, the People’s Republic of China) was applied to the dorsal skin of each subject’s forearms. Then, photographs of these subject’s skin were taken before and after decontamination of the simulated contaminant by using either decontamination method 1 or 2. Each of the subjects underwent both decontamination methods in separate trials, with each subject using one forearm for decontamination method 1 and their other forearm for decontamination method 2. Discrete points of contamination were quantified on the photographs that were taken with the skin illuminated by ambient visible light or ultraviolet light (395nm, Roceei ultraviolet flashlight, China).

Under visible light, no residual contamination was seen by inspecting photographs taken after decontaminating with either method. Under ultraviolet light, less visible contamination was seen by inspecting photographs taken after decontaminating with method 1 than after decontaminating with method 2.

In this study, skin decontamination with water irrigation was superior to skin decontamination without water irrigation.