As more chronically ill people are living in the community and disasters are occurring frequently, the elderly and the medically frail vulnerable populations are experiencing significantly more disaster-related morbidity and mortality than the rest of the population. A failure to adequately address these vulnerabilities has been shown to have negative effects on the response to the disaster and the community as a whole.

The purpose of this research was to understand how older and/or medically frail adults have experienced disaster and how this experience impacts what they do now to prepare for disaster. A second purpose was the generation of theory regarding the process through which community members prepare for disasters.

This study employed a qualitative descriptive methodology, Situational Analysis, to explore the social processes of disaster preparedness in older and/or medically frail adults.

The core category was “Experience is the Best Teacher.” Based on the findings, it was theorized that these community members are generally considered unprepared for disaster. Their lack of preparedness is due in large part to a lack of education on how best to prepare. Once educated, motivation for self-responsibility of household emergency preparedness can be expected. Community interventions like distributing disaster supply kits and offering evacuation assistance help overcome their situational impediments to preparedness and provide the best chance for these community members to survive disasters without becoming ill or injured or experiencing a decline in their baseline functional status. If these community members are incidentally prepared, it is largely due to their past experience with disaster or their professional experience.

The results from this study could inform emergency plans and policy efforts to better meet the needs of elderly and medically frail community members during disaster.

The aim of this review was to summarize current evidence from the United States on the effectiveness of practices and interventions for preventing, recognizing, and controlling occupationally acquired infectious diseases in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) clinicians.

PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SCOPUS were searched from January 1, 2006 through March 15, 2022 for studies in the United States that involved EMS clinicians and firefighters, reported on one or more workplace practices or interventions that prevented or controlled infectious diseases, and included outcome measures. Eleven (11) observational studies reported on infection prevention and control (IPC) practices providing evidence that hand hygiene, standard precautions, mandatory vaccine policies, and on-site vaccine clinics are effective. Less frequent handwashing (survey-weight adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 17.27) and less frequent hand hygiene after glove use (survey-weight adjusted OR 10.51; 95% CI, 2.54 to 43.45) were positively correlated with nasal colonization of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) or PPE breach were correlated with higher severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seropositivity (unadjusted risk ratio [RR] 4.2; 95% CI, 1.03 to 17.22). Workers were more likely to be vaccinated against influenza if their employer offered the vaccine (unadjusted OR 3.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 8.3). Active, targeted education modules for H1N1 influenza were effective at increasing vaccination rates and the success of on-site vaccine clinics.

Evidence from the United States exists on the effectiveness of IPC practices in EMS clinicians, including hand hygiene, standard precautions, mandatory vaccine policies, and vaccine clinics. More research is needed on the effectiveness of PPE and vaccine acceptance.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a time-sensitive entity that has been shown to benefit from prehospital diagnosis by electrocardiogram (ECG). Current computer algorithms with binary decision making are not accurate enough to be relied on for cardiac catheterization lab (CCL) activation.

An algorithmic approach is proposed to stratify binary STEMI computerized ECG interpretations into low, intermediate, and high STEMI probability tiers.

Based on previous literature, a four-criteria algorithm was developed to rule out/in common causes of prehospital STEMI false-positive computer interpretations: heart rate, QRS width, ST elevation criteria, and artifact. Prehospital STEMI cases were prospectively collected at a single academic center in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) from May 2012 through October 2013. The prehospital ECGs were applied to the algorithm and compared against activation of the CCL by an emergency department (ED) physician as the outcome of interest. In addition to calculating test characteristics, linear regression was used to look for an association between number of criteria used and accuracy, and logistic regression was used to test if any single criterion performed better than another.

There were 63 ECGs available for review, 39 high probability and 24 intermediate probability. The high probability STEMI tier had excellent test characteristics for ruling in STEMI when all four criteria were used, specificity 1.00 (95% CI, 0.59-1.00), positive predictive value 1.00 (0.91-1.00). Linear regression showed a strong correlation demonstrating that false-positives increased as fewer criteria were used (adjusted r-square 0.51; P <.01). Logistic regression showed no significant predictive value for any one criterion over another (P = .80). Limiting physician overread to the intermediate tier only would reduce the number of ECGs requiring physician overread by a factor of 0.62 (95% CI, 0.48-0.75; P <.01).

Prehospital STEMI ECGs can be accurately stratified to high, intermediate, and low probabilities for STEMI using the four criteria. While additional study is required, using this tiered algorithmic approach in prehospital ECGs could lead to changes in CCL activation and decreased requirements for physician overread. This may have significant clinical and quality implications.

To describe the situation with respect to nursing care conducted immediately before and after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945.

Nurses who were registered nursing staff in Nagasaki at the time of the bombing volunteered to participate in this research. Individual interviews were conducted to obtain information concerning the nursing activities in affected areas. The collected information was compared with official documents regarding the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and findings of current studies of disaster situation nursing.

Five participants indicated that starting on the day of the bombing, nursing care activities changed from moment to moment according to the condition of radiation victims, the condition of affected areas, and the relief systems in place. Under these conditions, nurses attempted to provide nursing care to victims of the bombing through any means possible.

The participants in the present study communicated a single message: that nursing care must be flexible in critical situations. Triage and cooperation with other types of medical professionals were also identified as important factors in nursing care.

MatsunariY, NakaoR. Individual Testimonies of Nursing Care after the Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki in 1945. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(2):1-5.

The prehospital 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) has become a standard of care. For the prehospital 12-lead ECG to be useful clinically, however, cardiologists and emergency physicians (EP) must view the test as useful. This study measured physician attitudes about the prehospital 12-lead ECG.

This study tested the hypothesis that physicians had “no opinion” regarding the prehospital 12-lead ECG.

An anonymous survey was conducted to measure EP and cardiologist attitudes toward prehospital 12-lead ECGs. Hypothesis tests against “no opinion” (VAS = 50 mm) were made with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and intergroup comparisons were made with the Student-t-test.

Seventy-one of 87 (81.6%) surveys were returned. Twenty-five (67.6%) cardiologists responded and 45 (90%) EPs responded. Both groups of physicians viewed prehospital 12-lead ECGs as beneficial (mean = 69 mm; 95% CI = 65–74mm). All physicians perceived that ECGs positively influence preparation of staff (mean = 63 mm; 95% CI = 60–72mm) and that ECGs transmitted to hospitals would be beneficial (mean = 66 mm; 95% CI = 60–72mm). Cardiologists had more favorable opinions than did EPs. The ability of paramedics to interpret ECGs was not seen as important (mean = 50 mm; 95% CI = 43–56mm). The justifiable increase in field time was perceived to be 3.2 minutes (95% CI = 2.7–3.8 minutes), with 23 (32.8%) preferring that it be done on scene, 46 (65.7%) during transport, and one (1.4%) not at all.

Prehospital 12-lead ECGs generally are perceived as worthwhile by cardiologists and EPs. Cardiologists have a higher opinion of the value and utility of field ECGs. Since the reduction in mortality from the 12-lead ECG is small, it is likely that positive physician attitudes are attributable to other factors.

To examine how did Hyogo prefecture renovate disaster medical services system from the lessons of the Great Hanshin -Awaji Earthquake.

Countermeasures after the experience of the Earthquake were 1. Establishment of disaster-related medical information network which was introduced to each of various institutions to collect and disseminate medical information at the time of disaster. 2. Designation of sixteen hospitals as Disaster Medical Centers, which were expected to play leading role in disaster management,and to receive many patients at a time of disasters. 3. Construction of Hyogo Emergency Medical Center which was designated as a main Disaster Medical Center to train medical staffs, to operate the Emergency Medical Information Control Center.

We have several training courses for medical staffs. The most important training course is the DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistant Team)training course. DMAT trainigs held at two main Disaster Medical Centers, east National Disaster Medical Center, west Hyogo Emergency Medical Center. More than three hundreds teams have been cultivated now. We experienced five disasters in Hyogo prefecture in these seven years. 2 were natural disasters by the typhoon. 3 were a collision of the ship, the collision of the truck, train derailments each. A big JR train accident occurred in Amagasaki city of Hyogo on April 25,2005. Hyogo Emergency Medical Center worked as the emergency information control center, dispatched doctor attended ambulance, performed on-site triage and first aid, dispatched second team by helicopter, received four severe cases by helicopters, dispatched third team in the evening and provided confined space medicine, and took initiative of surveillance study of the casualties.

Disaster medical services system from the lessons of the Earthqukake functioned at the time of the JR Train accident.