To evaluate the perception of disaster preparedness and response self-efficacy of nurses living and working in the region affected by the earthquakes in Turkey on February 6, 2023.

This cross-sectional, relationship-seeking research was conducted between March 10 and May 10, 2024 with 344 nurses in a hospital in the province of Kahramanmaraş, which was the epicentre of the February 2023 earthquake. A Personal Information Form, the Perception of Nurses of Disaster Preparedness Scale (PNDPS), and the Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale (DRSES) were used in data collection. Pathway analysis and confirmatory factor analyis were used in the evaluation of the data.

Age, gender, educational level, disaster training, and having lost someone close in a disaster were determined to have a significant effect on the perception of disaster preparedness, and response self-efficacy (P < 0.05). The perception of the stage of preparation was determined to be 0.136-fold greater in those with a disaster preparation plan (P < 0.05). Perception of the post-disaster stage was determined to be 0.130-fold greaater in those with a disaster preparation plan (P < 0.05).

This study demonstrated that nurses working in the earthquake region had high levels of disaster preparedness perception and response self-efficacy.

In this investigation, we reported the increase in emergency department and inpatient admission cases during the month of November 2012 post Hurricane Sandy as compared with baseline (November 2010, 2011, and 2013) for elderly patients aged 65 and up.

Medical claims data for patients aged 65 and over treated at emergency department and inpatient health care facilities in New Jersey were analyzed to examine the surge in frequencies of diagnoses treated immediately following Hurricane Sandy. The differences were quantified using gap analysis for 2 years before and 1 year after the event.

There was an average increase of 1700 cases for the month of November 2012 relative to baseline for the top 15 most frequently diagnosed emergency department medical conditions. On a daily basis, a volume increase by an average 57 cases could be expected, including significant numbers of limb fractures and other trauma cases for these most frequently encountered medical conditions.

Understanding the surge level in medical services needed in emergency departments and inpatient facilities during a natural disaster aftermath is critical for effective emergency preparation and response for the elderly population. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:730-738)

Following Hurricane Katrina and the 2009 H1N1 epidemic, pediatric critical care clinicians recognized the urgent need for a standardized pediatric triage/allocation system. This study collected regional provider opinion on issues of care allocation and pediatric triage in a disaster/pandemic setting.

This study was a cross-sectional survey of United States (US) health care providers and public health workers who demonstrated interest in critical care and/or disaster care medicine by attending a Northwest regional pediatric critical care symposium on disaster preparation, held in 2012 at Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington (USA). The survey employed an electronic audience response system and included demographic, ethical, and logistical questions. Differences in opinions between respondents grouped by professions and work locations were evaluated using a chi-square test.

One hundred and twelve (97%) of 116 total attendees responded to at least one question; however, four of these responders failed to answer every question. Sixty-two (55%) responders were nurses, 29 (26%) physicians, and 21 (19%) other occupations. Fifty-five (51%) responders worked in pediatric hospitals vs 53 (49%) in other locations. Sixty-three (58%) of 108 successful responses prioritized children predicted to have a good neuro-cognitive outcome. Seventy-one (68%) agreed that no pediatric age group should be prioritized. Twenty-two (43%) of providers working in non-pediatric hospital locations preferred a triage system based on an objective score alone vs 14 (26%) of those in pediatric hospitals (P = .038).

JohnsonEM, DiekemaDS, Lewis-NewbyM, KingMA. Pediatric Triage and Allocation of Critical Care Resources During Disaster: Northwest Provider Opinion. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(5):1-6.