Postexposure Interventions to Prevent Infection With HBV, HCV, or HIV, and Tetanus in People Wounded During Bombings and Other Mass Casualty Events—United States, 2008: Recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa E. Chapman ◽  
Ernest E. Sullivent ◽  
Lisa A. Grohskopf ◽  
Elise M. Beltrami ◽  
Joseph F. Perz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Acute Injury ◽  
Mass Casualties ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Mass Casualty Event ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

ABSTRACTPeople wounded during bombings or other events resulting in mass casualties or in conjunction with the resulting emergency response may be exposed to blood, body fluids, or tissue from other injured people and thus be at risk for bloodborne infections such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, or tetanus. This report adapts existing general recommendations on the use of immunization and postexposure prophylaxis for tetanus and for occupational and nonoccupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens to the specific situation of a mass casualty event. Decisions regarding the implementation of prophylaxis are complex, and drawing parallels from existing guidelines is difficult. For any prophylactic intervention to be implemented effectively, guidance must be simple, straightforward, and logistically undemanding. Critical review during development of this guidance was provided by representatives of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and representatives of the acute injury care, trauma, and emergency response medical communities participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Terrorism Injuries: Information, Dissemination and Exchange project. The recommendations contained in this report represent the consensus of US federal public health officials and reflect the experience and input of public health officials at all levels of government and the acute injury response community. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2008;2:150–165)

Communications and Politics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Sharfstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Political Judgment ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

An effective communications approach starts with a basic dictum set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Be first, be right, be credible.” Agencies must establish themselves as vital sources of accurate information to maintain the public’s trust. At the same time, public health officials must recognize that communications play out in the context of ideological debates, electoral rivalries, and other political considerations. During a public health crisis, this means that health officials often need to constructively engage political leaders in communications and management. Navigating these waters in the middle of a crisis can be treacherous. Figuring out the best way to engage elected leaders is a core aspect of political judgment.

Altered Standards of Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Identifying Ethical, Legal, and Practical Principles to Guide Decision Making

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. S132-S140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Levin ◽  
Rebecca Orfaly Cadigan ◽  
Paul D. Biddinger ◽  
Suzanne Condon ◽  
Howard K. Koh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
State Level ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Mass Casualty Events ◽  
Public Health Officials

ABSTRACTAlthough widespread support favors prospective planning for altered standards of care during mass casualty events, the literature includes few, if any, accounts of groups that have formally addressed the overarching policy considerations at the state level. We describe the planning process undertaken by public health officials in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along with community and academic partners, to explore the issues surrounding altered standards of care in the event of pandemic influenza. Throughout 2006, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness jointly convened a working group comprising ethicists, lawyers, clinicians, and local and state public health officials to consider issues such as allocation of antiviral medications, prioritization of critical care, and state seizure of private assets. Community stakeholders were also engaged in the process through facilitated discussion of case scenarios focused on these and other issues. The objective of this initiative was to establish a framework and some fundamental principles that would subsequently guide the process of establishing specific altered standards of care protocols. The group collectively identified 4 goals and 7 principles to guide the equitable allocation of limited resources and establishment of altered standards of care protocols. Reviewing and analyzing this process to date may serve as a resource for other states. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3(Suppl 2):S132–S140)

Communicating Public Health Preparedness Information to Pregnant and Postpartum Women: An Assessment of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web Pages

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-137
Author(s):  
Brianna McDonough ◽  
Elizabeth Felter ◽  
Amia Downes ◽  
Jeanette Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Postpartum Women ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

AbstractPregnant and postpartum women have special needs during public health emergencies but often have inadequate levels of disaster preparedness. Thus, improving maternal emergency preparedness is a public health priority. More research is needed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to how preparedness information is communicated to these women. A sample of web pages from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intended to address the preparedness needs of pregnant and postpartum populations was examined for suitability for this audience. Five of the 7 web pages examined were considered adequate. One web page was considered not suitable and one the raters split between not suitable and adequate. None of the resources examined were considered superior. If these resources are considered some of the best available to pregnant and postpartum women, more work is needed to improve the suitability of educational resources, especially for audiences with low literacy and low incomes. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:134-137)

Mass Casualty Triage: An Evaluation of the Science and Refinement of a National Guideline

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Brooke Lerner ◽  
David C. Cone ◽  
Eric S. Weinstein ◽  
Richard B. Schwartz ◽  
Phillip L. Coule ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Casualty Incident ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
National Guideline ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
The Core ◽  
Individual Assessment ◽  
Triage Category

ABSTRACTMass casualty triage is the process of prioritizing multiple victims when resources are not sufficient to treat everyone immediately. No national guideline for mass casualty triage exists in the United States. The lack of a national guideline has resulted in variability in triage processes, tags, and nomenclature. This variability has the potential to inject confusion and miscommunication into the disaster incident, particularly when multiple jurisdictions are involved. The Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed to be a national guideline for mass casualty triage to ensure interoperability and standardization when responding to a mass casualty incident. The Core Criteria consist of 4 categories: general considerations, global sorting, lifesaving interventions, and individual assessment of triage category. The criteria within each of these categories were developed by a workgroup of experts representing national stakeholder organizations who used the best available science and, when necessary, consensus opinion. This article describes how the Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:129-137)

Aligning Public Health Training and Practice in Evaluation: Implications and Recommendations for Educators

2021 ◽  
pp. 237337992110336
Author(s):  
Bree L. Hemingway ◽  
Sarah Douville ◽  
Leslie A. Fierro
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Centers For Disease Control ◽  
Public Health Practitioners

Objective. This study aimed to understand the extent to which master of public health (MPH) graduates engage in evaluation on the job, to learn how MPH graduates implement evaluation, and to hear from MPH graduates about how their academic training prepared them for the evaluation work they perform. Methods. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Evaluation Framework, this convergent mixed-methods study included an online survey with 89 public health practitioners and follow-up interviews with 17 survey respondents. The study was performed in the United States during summer 2020. Results. In addition to participating in evaluation activities related to all six Centers for Disease Control and Prevention framework steps, MPH graduates engage in evaluation capacity building, evaluating for health equity and social justice, and funding activities. Participants noted a disconnect between academic preparation and community practice, were least confident in focusing the evaluation design, and most often used surveys to collect data. Conclusions. Public health practitioners commonly engage in evaluation activities but do not feel fully prepared to do so given their MPH training. Many opportunities exist to enhance graduate/postgraduate training through connecting public health with the broader professional practice of evaluation.

Analysis of Emergency Health Care Workforce and Service Readiness for a Mass Casualty Event in the Republic of Ireland

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 243-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tener Goodwin Veenema ◽  
Fiona Boland ◽  
Declan Patton ◽  
Tom O’Connor ◽  
Zena Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Republic Of Ireland ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Mass Casualty Event ◽  
Service Readiness ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Professional Disciplines

ABSTRACTObjectiveUltimately, a country’s capacity for a large-scale major emergency response will be directly related to the competence of its health care provider (HCP) workforce and communication between emergency responders and hospitals. The purpose of this study was to assess HCP preparedness and service readiness for a major emergency involving mass casualties (mass casualty event or MCE) in Ireland.MethodsA cross-sectional study using a 53-item survey was administered to a purposive sample of emergency responders and HCPs in the Republic of Ireland. Data collection was achieved using the Qualtrics® Research Suite. Descriptive statistics and appropriate tests of comparison between professional disciplines were conducted using Stata 13.ResultsA total of 385 respondents, registered nurses (43.4%), paramedics (37.9%), medical doctors (10.1%), and administrators/managers (8.6%), participated in the study. In general, a level of knowledge of MCEs and knowledge of clinical response activities and self-assessed clinical competence varied drastically across many aspects of the survey. Knowledge and confidence also varied across professional disciplines (P<0.05) with nurses, in general, reporting the least knowledge and/or confidence.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that serious deficits exist in HCP knowledge, skills, and self-perceived abilities to participate in a large-scale MCE. Results also suggest a poor knowledge base of existing major emergency response plans. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:243–255)

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