Advances in technology can drastically improve the ability of providers to care for survivors of a disaster. Research into new applications of technology in the Disaster Medicine space, and dissemination of new technological achievements are vital to saving lives. This presentation discusses several recently proven technologies in the field of disaster medicine which deserve further dissemination, as well as promising technologies currently being studied.

An overview of the current uses and upcoming research on several technologies will be definitive in future disaster responses.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Telemedicine have been well studied and are proven game changers in field disaster response. Artificial intelligence continues to be studied and aid real-time, strategic and tactical decision making in the field. Virtual reality simulation has now advanced to be a feasible, cost effective and effective method of training disaster responders as well as for training the lay public in disaster risk reduction. Artificial Intelligence is also being studied for uses in the hospital and in all forms of Emergency Management, and is likely to be intricately tied to the future of the field.

As new technologies are developed, it is important for Disaster medicine practitioners to consider how they can be applied to the field. Advocating for applying new technologies to disaster medicine, and for dissemination of proven technologies is a vital part of advancing the field of disaster preparedness and response.

National Veterinary Services of World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) are responsible for a wide range of activities including animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health. The WOAH European Region member countries were surveyed to determine and quantify the level of capacity to respond to natural disasters, determine the types of disasters experienced, determine their levels of education and training and identify gaps in capacity and specific needs of Member Countries for disaster response.

A web-based Qualtrics survey on Animal Welfare in Natural Disasters was conducted by Lincoln Memorial University in conjunction with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Platform on Animal Welfare for Europe. The 50 question survey was distributed by email link to Member Countries points of contact provide by OIE. The survey was emailed to 53 OIE European Member Countries with reminder emails to complete. Survey results were compiled and tabulated. Only aggregate data is published and presented.

Forty-nine countries responded to the survey for a 92% completion rate. Floods, earthquakes and fire were the three most commonly encountered disasters. Fifty-two percent indicated they incorporated animal welfare into their disaster planning. Thirty-one percent indicated they had no or limited legal authority to manage animal emergencies in natural disasters. The species covered in the national response plan ranged from laboratory animals at 17% to livestock at 48%. Eighty-two percent had no or limited standard operating procedures and 73% had no training to respond to animal welfare in disasters. Budgets, trained personnel, equipment/supplies and legal authority were the most frequently identified gaps

The survey demonstrated there is a wide range of European Member Countries capacity to respond to animal welfare in natural disasters. This provides the baseline for the OIE Platform for Animal Welfare Europe to provide focused and actionable support to Member Countries

As wildfires and air pollution become more common across the United States, it is increasingly important to understand the burden they place on public health. Previous studies have noted relationships between air quality and use of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), but until now, these studies have focused on day-to-day air quality. The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of sustained periods of poor air quality on EMS call characteristics and volume.

Using a time-stratified case-crossover design, the effect of exposure to periods of poor air quality on number and type of EMS calls in California, USA from 2014-2019 was observed. Poor air quality periods greater than three days were identified at the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Air Quality Index (AQI) levels of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI 100) and Unhealthy (AQI 150). Periods less than three days apart were combined. Each poor air quality period was matched with two one-week controls, the first being the closest preceding week that did not intersect a different case. The second control was the closest week at least three days after the case and not intersecting with a different case. Due to seasonal variation in EMS usage, from the initial cases, cases were used only if it was possible to identify controls within 28 days of the case. A conditional Poisson regression calculated risk ratios for EMS call volume.

Comparing the case periods to the controls, significant increases were found at AQI >100 for total number of calls, and the primary impressions categories of emotional state or behavior, level of consciousness, no patient complaint, other, respiratory, and abdominal. At an AQI >150, significance was found for the primary impressions categories of other, pain, respiratory, and digestive.

These data demonstrate increased EMS calls during sustained poor air quality, and that several EMS primary impression categories are disproportionately affected. This study is limited by the imprecision of the primary impression’s classification provided by the EMS clinician responding to the EMS call. More research is needed to understand the effects of periods of poor air quality on the EMS system for more efficient deployment of resources.

Appropriate pain management indicates the quality of casualty care in trauma. Gender bias in pain management focused so far on the patient. Studies regarding provider gender are scarce and have conflicting results, especially in the military and prehospital settings.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of health care providers’ gender on pain management approaches among prehospital trauma casualties treated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) medical teams.

This retrospective cohort study included all trauma casualties treated by IDF senior providers from 2015-2020. Casualties with a pain score of zero, age under 18 years, or treated with endotracheal intubation were excluded. Groups were divided according to the senior provider’s gender: only females, males, or both female and male. A multivariate analysis was performed to assess the odds ratio of receiving an analgesic, depending on the presence of a female senior provider, adjusting for potential confounders. A subgroup analysis was performed for “delta-pain,” defined as the difference in pain score during treatment.

A total of 976 casualties were included, of whom 835 (85.6%) were male. Mean pain scores (SD) for the female only, male only, and both genders providers were 6.4 (SD = 2.9), 6.4 (SD = 3.0), and 6.9 (SD = 2.8), respectively (P = .257). There was no significant difference between females, males, or both female and male groups in analgesic treatment, overall and per specific agent. This remained true also in the multivariate model. Delta-pain difference between groups was also not significant. Less than two-thirds of casualties in this study were treated for pain among all study groups.

This study found no association between IDF Medical Corps providers’ gender and pain management in prehospital trauma patients. Further studies regarding disparities in acute pain treatment are advised.

Nurses play an essential role in disaster response. All health care responders, including nurses, must have knowledge of the key principles of disaster medicine. The International Trauma and Disaster Institute (ITDI) at Massachusetts General Hospital has developed a core curriculum for Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) management. The curriculum provides all members of the multidisciplinary disaster team with the fundamentals of the MCI response. The proposed concurrent session will report on understanding of the fundamental knowledge in disaster medicine and preparedness for nurses in local and international disaster responses.

Disasters follow no rules. Traditionally, medical providers have held the erroneous belief that all disasters are different, especially those involving terrorism. In reality, all disasters, regardless of etiology, have similar medical and public health consequences. A consistent medical approach to disasters, based on an understanding of their common features and the response they require, is becoming the accepted practice throughout the world. This strategy, called the MCI response, has the primary objective of reducing the mortality/morbidity caused by the disaster. The Advanced Disaster Medical Response (ADMR) Course, available in eight languages, including Chinese, is designed to train nurses in the ABC's of basic medical and public health disaster care. The delivery of optimal care in a disaster relies on a common understanding of each health professional's role and common mastery of defined essentials of disaster response such as the Incident Command System, field triage, decontamination, care of specific injuries, environmental considerations, psychological response to disasters, and care of the dead and their families. Understanding key principles and training in medical disaster response will guide nurses in disaster preparedness and response to future disasters.

The Medical-Psychological Emergency Cells (CUMP) are integrated in France into the pre-hospital Medical Emergency Services (SAMU). The objective of this study aims to show an integrated course of care and the major interest of the inclusion of the Psychological Cells in the structures of the SAMU.

The CUMP of the Toulouse Area is made up of Psychologists, Nurses, Psychiatrists, professionals or volunteers sent or put on alert. Interventions take place immediately under the aegis of the prehospital medical care department or in a deferred manner within the first 48 hours. All subjects having at the time signs of acute stress, peritraumatic dissociation, behavioral disorders, are invited to follow-up consultations within 48 to 72 hours. The objective of this work is to show the continuity of care and the pathway of patients coordinated from an emergency call to several months beyond.

During 2021, 222 situations were handled, either individually or collectively. 94 were assaults (physical, psychological, or sexual), 55 were accidents (traffic accident, fire, explosion, etc.), 50 were confrontations with death (attending a suicide, death, etc.), 13 were traumatic bereavements, and 10 a context of a health disaster. Overall, 1,109 patients were seen immediately on site, 192 post-immediate in less than 48 hours and 197 had repeated individual consultations.

1) The participation of the same professionals in immediate and post-immediate care makes the prevention of chronic post-traumatic stress more effective.

2) The articulation with the care structures for lasting psycho-trauma establishes consistency in the course of care: sensitivity to signs of distress, dissociation or stupefaction.

3) The links with the pre-hospital emergency medical aid service make emergency specialists aware of the psychological component of traumatic events.

EMT’s training is considered of high importance for disaster preparedness and response. The PT EMT, joined the TEAMS 3.0 Consortium, seeking to develop a universal training program for EMTs.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the PT EMT E-learning Course in preparing trainees for disaster during their EMT initial training.

The analyzed data were collected through the application of a final questionnaire, which aimed to assess the effectiveness of the topics covered and the self-perception of disaster preparedness. A total of 31 trainees attended the E-learning Course, but only 25 answers were collected.

The results showed that 92% of the trainees considered as the most important themes three areas: (1) Disaster and Humanitarian Principles; (2) Safety & Self-Protection; and (3) Disaster Logistics. The overall mean score was 4.52 points (SD = 0.770) out of five for the importance of this training for the performance of their mission roles and 4.48 points (SD = 0.770) in the contribution of these contents to their individual development. After completing this E-learning module, 88% consider themselves better prepared to disaster response and to attend the practical module of the initial training program.

The PT EMT E-learning Course, preceding the practical TEAMS 3.0 course, proved to be effective in the preparation of trainees for the practical training, but especially, it adds a huge variety of important knowledge, solidifying their preparedness for disaster response.

The development of common training bases for EMTs, with both modules, will improve the disaster preparedness and response.