Disaster Management Courses Research Articles

Jordanian nurses’ competencies in providing community care during disaster: a cross-sectional survey

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived level of Jordanian nurses’ competencies in offering care to the community during a disaster. Design/methodology/approach A correlational descriptive design was used to assess nurses’ competencies in offering care for the community during a disaster. Findings A total of 370 nurses (55 % males) aged 25−55 agreed to participate. The mean score of competencies of nurses who offer care to the community during the disaster was 2.11 (SD = 0.59) points. The results of correlation coefficient tests revealed a significant positive correlation between stated competencies level and nurses’ sex, receiving disaster education and training with rpb (371) = 0.13, p < 0.01; rpb (598) = 0.15, p = 0.004; rpb (598) = 0.21, p < 0.001, respectively. Furthermore, the “care of communities” subscale had a weak positive correlation with the. Originality/value Nurses play a critical role in disaster response. However, there was a gap in nurses’ competencies for disaster, which shows there is a crucial need to include disaster management courses in the nursing curriculum and update disaster management courses in hospitals based on nurses’ needs to improve their competencies during disasters.

Evaluation of Health Management Education Curriculum in terms of Disaster Management

The Department of Health Management trains managers for health institutions serving in the public and private sectors. 
 The health sector is in a very important place due to the duties and responsibilities it undertakes in the event of a disaster. For this reason, health professionals are expected to have a good knowledge of basic disaster response knowledge and skills such as disaster management and disaster medicine. In the literature review, when it comes to the disaster preparedness of health workers, only physicians and nurses draw attention, and health managers remain in the background.
 In this study, the curricula of universities providing health management education were analyzed in terms of disaster management. 
 In this context, it was investigated whether there are first aid, public health, disaster management and occupational health and safety courses in the curricula. A total of 56 public universities providing health management education in Turkey were included in the study. When the curricula were analyzed; First Aid course is compulsory in only 7 universities. In 25, it is included in the elective course pool. Public health course is compulsory in 27 and elective in 20 universities. Disaster management course is compulsory in 11 and elective in 30 universities. Occupational health and safety course is compulsory in 11 and elective in 33 universities. Considering that the graduates may be in positions such as prevention of disasters, preparation of disaster plan or intervention in the hospitals where they will work, it is observed that the courses that may be related to disasters that they take during their undergraduate education are not sufficient.

Nurses’ competencies in providing care to COVID-19 patient: survey of Jordanian nurses

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the level of nurses’ competencies while providing care to COVID-19 patients.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive, correlational design was used to collect data from nurses who were providing care to COVID-19 patients at four public hospitals.FindingsA total of 377 nurses (64.5% females) aged 23–50 consented to participate and completed the survey. The mean score of nurses’ competencies in providing care to COVID-19 patients was 2.5 (SD = 0.81). The results of correlation coefficient tests disclosed a significant positive correlation between reported competence level and sex rpb (377) = 0.18, p < 0.01; working area rpb (377) = 0.2, p < 0.01; disaster experience rpb (377) = 0.16, p < 0.01; disaster education rpb (377) = 0.25, p < 0.01; and disaster training rpb (377) = 0.31, p < 0.01.Research limitations/implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic response heavily relied on nurses. However, they had a gap in clinical competencies that indicates an urgent need to incorporate disaster management courses in basic nursing education and to update training in hospitals based on nurses’ needs to improve their capabilities in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the perceived level of Jordanian nurses’ competencies in providing care to COVID-19.

Development of the “Conductor Type Human Resources Development” program for Disaster Medicine and Health Care by Tohoku University and Fukushima Medical University

Introduction:On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake with a 9.0 magnitude struck the northeastern coast of Japan. The death toll reached 15,892 and 2,576 people were reported missing. Tohoku University and Fukushima Medical University, both of which are located in the affected prefectures, responded massively to the disaster.Method:To deal with the next disaster, both universities established the “Conductor type Human Resources Development” (CHRD) program for Disaster Medicine and Health Care in 2019, not only for doctors, but also other medical professionals (such as dentists, nurses, pharmacists, etc.) supported by the Japanese government. The main course of CHRD program, “Disaster Management course,” which is also a certification program at Tohoku University, comprises 14 practical educational contents (seven practical trainings and seven lectures) based on the work experience of both universities in collaboration with various organizations.Results:To date, 59 students have enrolled in the Disaster Management course, two students are enrolled in the board-certified physician in public health and social medicine acquisition course, three students are enrolled in the master's course, a Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine course, and two students are enrolled in the doctoral course. Until October 2022, a total of 17 people were certified to have completed the "Disaster Management course," and one person completed the board-certified physician in public health and social medicine acquisition course. A total of 68 practical trainings and lectures were held until 2021, the total number of times this program was attended by students until 2021 was 916. Average comprehension rate and satisfaction rate with practical trainings and lectures by students are 97.2% and 98.3%, respectively.Conclusion:All the students who complete the CHRD program are believed to acquire comprehensive skills related to disaster health and medical care and will be able to respond effectively in all phases.

NURSING STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION TOWARD BLENDED LEARNING AT A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN TANGERANG

&lt;p&gt;Motivation can be a driving force for learning that is manifested by the attention of students in blended learning. Blended learning is a combination of online learning and face-to-face learning models. Faculty of Nursing at one private university in Tangerang, is currently developing a blended learning model. The learning is applied to several subjects including Emergency and Critical Care and Disaster Management courses. When the pandemic hit Indonesia, the education system suddenly shifted to online learning. It then pushed students and teachers to master the use of technology, in order to ensure the effectiveness of its implementation. It is indeed significant, given that there are several challenges with a blended learning model, such as internet connection, inadequate facilities or devices, and students’ tendency to procrastinate. It is also important to know students’ perception toward blended learning for the better implementation in the future. This study sought to explore the motivation of nursing students at one private university in Tangerang toward blended learning. To achieve the objective, a descriptive quantitative research method was utilized. The sample consisted of 207 third year nursing students who learned with a blended learning method. The data were collected using The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) in May 2020 by online survey form. The data were then analyzed using univariate analysis. It showed that 70% students had high learning motivation while the remaining 30% had low learning motivation. Hence, blended learning was assumed to be effective and worth keeping for nursing education. &lt;/p&gt;

Short training to improve knowledge of disaster management on basic level: A before and after study

A massive effort to improve community resilience against disasters has been made by the Indonesian government. President Joko Widodo further emphasized this effort by ordering all governmental institutions and local governments to intensify disaster education for all the communities across Indonesia. As a contribution to this effort, Indonesia Defense University conducted a short training on basic disaster management for students, lecturers, and staffs. To evaluate the results of such training, a before-and-after study is used. The aim of this study is to examine if short training could improve participants’ knowledge in disaster management on a basic level. A pretest-posttest design was used to examine 105 participants’ knowledge before and after a five-day intervention consisting of eight basic disaster management courses regulated by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). The grading system is used to understand how much the improvement of each participant, with the possibility of failing if not meeting the score threshold. This study showed that most of the participants’ knowledge on basic disaster management have improved with varying results: 60 percent of participants passed with “excellent” mark, 22 percent passed with “very good” mark, 12 percent passed with “good” mark, and the remaining eight percent failed to pass. This study provides an opportunity for humanitarian actors to use such training in order to improve knowledge in basic disaster management as a means of disaster education. However, long-term evaluation for each participant is required to examine the impact of this training on disaster resilience on community scale.

Emergency Medical Providers’ Knowledge Regarding Disasters during Mass Gatherings in Saudi Arabia

The Hajj is a recurring annual mass gathering event with over three million attendants taking place at the same site for six days. During such events, major incidents and disasters can occur. It is crucial that Emergency Medical Services providers are sufficiently trained regarding disaster preparedness to respond appropriately. EMS-providers of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority who worked during the Hajj in 2016 were asked to complete a web-based survey, utilizing predetermined responses with 5-point Likert scale responses. Seven hundred respondents identified real disasters as the most common source of information about disaster preparedness and also indicated that a disaster management course was the most desired course for improving knowledge. The study has also highlighted a list of Life Support Courses providers feel should be offered as part of a disaster response training package. These findings highlight the importance of continuing education, which may be obtained through short, focused courses, or for small numbers of specialists through higher educational degrees, such as masters or doctorates. This study also examines the importance of media and its impact on increasing knowledge and awareness for EMS-providers. Consideration should be given to pairing novice providers with experienced personnel to disseminate knowledge and practical experience during Hajj missions. Simulated disaster drilling should be considered to introduce novices to the stress of mass casualty disaster response.

Readiness of the nurses employed by Bezmi-alem Vakif University hospital for disasters

Abstract Background This study is intended to increase disaster awareness of the nurses so as to increase the survival rate during disasters. Methods The research was done via a total of 430 nurses, consisting of 360 nurses employed by Bezmialem Vakıf University (BVU) Medical Faculty Hospital and 70 nurses employed by the BVU Dragos Hospital from 01.11.2018 to 01.02.2019. Data was collected by using the Introductory Information Form and the Scale for Basic Qualifications for Readiness of the Nurses for Disasters. IBM SPSS Statistics V23 program was used for evaluation of the data. Results For the nurses, it was determined that the average age was 26.06±6.05 and the average working hours was 6.24±5.86. It was found out that 60.6% of the nurses did not have any training in relation to the disasters. It was found that the average point for perception of readiness for the disasters by the nurses was 5.03±2.38 (0-10) while the average point for perception of disaster plan information at hospital was 4.27±2.53 (0-10). It was established that the nurses consider the disaster management course as the course required most for disaster preparation with a rate of 47.9%. It was found that the average point achieved via the Scale for Basic Qualifications for Readiness of Nurses for Disasters was 141.46±32.48, and the lowest average sub-dimension point was 11.49±3.42 as critical thinking abilities while the highest average sub-dimension point was 48.23±12.21 as technical abilities. A positive weakly significant relationship was found between critical thinking abilities and evaluation of readiness for disasters. Conclusions Nurses have technical knowledge and abilities on topics related to their field, but they need to participate in educational activities for increasing the level of knowledge in terms of disasters. Key messages The role of nurses in emergency health services during disasters is great. Thus, disaster awareness of all the nurses worldwide must be increased so that they are ready for the disasters.

Attitude of Jordanian Nursing Educators Toward Integration of Disaster Management in Nursing Curricula.

Nursing education plays a significant role in preparing nurses for disasters; it helps in increasing their knowledge about disasters. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitude of nursing educators in Jordan toward the integration of disaster preparedness contents in nursing curricula. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used. The instrument comprises 51 Likert-scale items; 150 questionnaires were distributed to nursing educators in all of the private and government universities. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 22 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). One hundred thirty-one (131) results were collected with an 87% response rate. All participants perceived that the integration of a disaster course in nursing curricula is quite important. Findings indicated a lack of nursing educators' life experiences regarding disaster management. No significant differences were found in terms of age, area of experience, or years of teaching. Incorporating disaster management courses into nursing curricula will help resolve the lack of knowledge. Nursing educators have a low level of knowledge in disaster management. This highlights the necessity for preparing nursing educators for disasters by encouraging their participation in disaster management training. Therefore, they will circulate this information adequately to students accordingly.

Provider Burnout and Fatigue During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From a High-Volume Intensive Care Unit.

Provider Burnout and Fatigue During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From a High-Volume Intensive Care Unit.

A sneak peek into the curriculum on disaster management medicine in India for health professionals: A mixed-methods approach.

INTRODUCTION:India being a disaster-prone country necessitates us to be able to act proactively for any sort of preparedness and prevention. This necessitates a curriculum which can bring all the aspects related to disaster under one umbrella and thus impart training.AIM:The aim of the study was to assess the responses of students about the importance of disaster management (DM) in their MBBS course, take up suggestions about the important inclusions to be made in their curriculum, and get an insight of the higher education and research of DM domain in the Indian context.METHODOLOGY:A cross-sectional study with a batch of 100 MBBS students purposively sampled were part of the questionnaire. Besides, a thorough Internet search for institutes providing training on DM was done, and relevant details were noted down. Later on, the students were given guest lectures and demonstrations by certified trainers and experts along with a know-how of where to go for getting a hands-on training and whom to respond to.RESULTS:Seventy-two percent of the students felt the portion of DM being taught to them to be insufficient, and 95% never got any training or demonstration for DM although 22% felt that it is not so important for them as a doctor. Only 23% of them knew about any sort of DM courses or certifications in India, and almost 16% of the students were confident enough to tackle any incidence of public health emergency.CONCLUSION:Making an earlier start will impart seriousness and accountability in the mindset of budding physicians.

Barriers and facilitators to provide continuity of care to dischargeable patients in disasters: A qualitative study

ObjectiveEarly discharge of some in-patients is the effective measure to create hospital surge capacity in disasters. However, some of these patients may need to post-discharge continuity of care. The aim of the current study then is to explore the barriers of continuity of care, and to provide suitable solutions for potentially dischargeable patients during disasters. MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted in Iran in 2017. The data was collected via unstructured interviews with 24 disaster professionals; and analyzed by content analysis method. ResultsIdentified barriers to the continuity of care were classified into seven categories, ‘lack of disaster paradigm’; ‘challenges of pre-hospital system’; ‘insufficient coordination and cooperation’; ‘inadequate hospital preparedness’; ‘lack of using available resources and capacities’; ‘poor patients' knowledge’ and ‘poor planning’. The suggested solutions for post-discharge continuity of care were: creation of registry and follow-up system; removing pre-hospital challenges; including disaster management courses in medical school curriculum; promoting hospital preparedness by All-Hazard Approach; and effective use of available resources. ConclusionUnderstanding the barriers to continuity of care for discharged patients for adopting policies based on experiences of health care providers can help planners to design and implement effective programs, which will enhance patients' access to necessary care.

A pilot registry of trauma surgeons willing and ready to respond to disasters.

A well-defined means of organizing surgeons based on functional capabilities in disaster response has been lacking. We sought to create a pilot registry of surgeons, organized by functional capacities, available to respond to disasters in conjunction with the American College of Surgeons Operation Giving Back and to better understand their participation in disaster medicine training. The authors conducted a survey of the members of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma aimed at establishing a pilot registry of qualified trauma surgeons available to respond to disasters. Data from the surveys were analyzed retrospectively for surgical and subspecialty training, board certification, disaster response training, and military or civilian disaster experience to better understand the respondents' functional capacities and disaster training backgrounds. Of 211 respondents, 96% self-identified as trauma surgeons, whereas 87% and 89% reported active practice in acute care surgery and/or critical care. Nearly all had primary board certifications in general surgery (93%), and many had additional certifications in surgical critical care (65%). While many reported participation in American College of Surgeons-sponsored trauma courses, only 30% of those surveyed received disaster-specific training in Federal Emergency Management Agency courses, and even fewer received training in the Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness course. Few had military (26%) or civilian (19%) experience in disaster response. This initiative complements efforts to organize a registry of trauma surgeons who are qualified and willing to respond in all aspects of disaster response. While trauma surgeons are optimally positioned to provide a wide range of surgical expertise in a disaster, this study further demonstrated the lack of a universally accepted disaster training program for surgeons willing to respond to mass casualty incidents. Standardized disaster response training for surgeons remains a challenge for the future. Care management, level IV.

Haseen Habib: 50 years in fire protection services

Subject area This case study has been written to illustrate the basic difference between goods and services, the difficulties of customer education in a developing county and the transition from goods to goods-cum-services for a company. Study level/applicability This is an ideal case to be taught in the second class of service marketing at the BBA level and will highlight the differences between goods and services in the same company. Case overview Haseen Habib is a company selling a combination of products and services in Pakistan. It is involved in the supply of fire protection equipment together with the provision of training and other facilities to enable organizations to take a proactive approach to disasters caused by fire and the appropriate response in case of a fire related disaster. This dimension of business is still in the infancy stage in Pakistan, and few people actually realize the need for fire protection services. Safety, risk management and risk prevention are often matters which take a backseat in the corporate, industrial, residential and commercial spheres. The emphasis is on dealing with the aftermath of events rather than to prepare them in advance. The company has a very clear vision and mindset which aims at taking a proactive approach toward managing and preventing risk. They are the pioneers of the safety industry in Pakistan and hold a strong work ethic. The company imports its equipment from the USA, China and Europe. Their target market mainly includes high risk sectors including oil and gas, chemicals, textiles, paint, nuclear and defense. The product portfolio included firefighting equipment like fire extinguishers, safety items which included head-to-toe safety attire for industrial workers and fire alarm systems including smoke detectors. The company also provides different levels and kinds of training and has experienced staff trained abroad in state-of-the-art techniques. However, in Pakistan, investment in risk management is often considered unnecessary, and in such a situation, imparting knowledge is a considerable challenge. The case can be used to study a number of topics. It can be used in a services marketing class to highlight the ways in which services marketing differs from conventional marketing of goods. It can also be used in disaster management courses or to reflect the status and position of developing countries, such as Pakistan, in dealing with unexpected disasters and catastrophes. Expected learning outcomes Following are the expected learning outcomes: to appreciate the difference between goods and services; to understand the issues in moving from a goods-oriented to a service-oriented company; to understand the challenges facing Haseen Habib in the context of customer education, keeping in mind it is functioning in an emerging marketing with a particular socio-cultural context; and to propose a way forward for Haseen Habib. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

University Students Assess the Achievement of the E-Learning Outcomes of Disasters and Mitigation and Disaster Management Courses

Turkiye’de 1999 yili afet zararlarinin azaltilmasi ve afet yonetimi acisindan bir milat olarak degerlendirilmekle birlikte 2009 yilindan itibaren gerek resmi kurum ve kuruluslar gerek sivil toplum orgutleri ve ozel sektorde onemli cabalar sarf edilmekte ve toplumun tum katmanlarinda bu alanda bir duyarlilik olusturulmaya calisilmaktadir. Milli Egitim Bakanliginin ilk ve ortaokul programlarinda yaptigi degisiklerde de bu cabalarin izlerine rastlanmaktadir. Ulkemizin en onemli kurumlarindan biri olan universitelerde de bu cabanin filizlendigi ve onemli adimlarin atildigi yadsinamaz. Universitelerde yalnizca jeoloji, jeofizik gibi alanlarda degil tum alanlarda afet zararlarinin azaltilmasi ve afet yonetimi konusunda derslerin yer almasi konusunda birkac universitenin girisimlerde bulundugu bilinmektedir. Bunlardan biri de Kocaeli Universitesidir. Universitemiz bulundugu cografi konum itibariyla afetler konusunda yuksek riske sahip olmasi sebebiyle afet zararlarinin azaltilmasi cabalarinda destek olusturmakta ve onculuk etmektedir. 2009 yilinda Universitemiz egitim ogretimde yeniden yapilanma surecine girmis ve 2010-2011 ogretim yilinda kademeli bir sekilde program degisiklikleri sisteme yansitilmaya baslamistir. 2012 yilindan beri bu degisiklikler kapsaminda tum ogrencilerimiz isterlerse, afet konularindaki iki ayri dersi universite elektronik secmeli ders E-ders adi altinda secebilmektedirler. Bu dersler, Afetler ve Zararlarinin Azaltilmasi ve Afet Yonetimi dersleridir. Bu derslerle mumkun oldugunca fazla ogrencide afet duyarligini arttirmak hem bireysel olarak yapilabilecekleri, hem de bu konuda sunabilecekleri toplumsal katkiyi ogrenmeleri, dusunmeleri ve tartismalari saglanmaya calisilmaktadir. Ogrenciler, kendilerine bilgi sisteminden saglanan ders izlencelerine ve bu izlenceler dogrultusunda gerceklestirilmesi hedeflenen ogrenme ciktilarina ulasabilmektedir. Ogrenciler, donem sonunda da bu ogrenme ciktilarini degerlendirmektedirler. Bu calismada son uc yil icinde bu dersleri alan 3.302 ogrencinin bu derslerle ilgili ogrenme ciktilarinin ne duzeyde gerceklestigini dusundukleri ve derste gosterdikleri akademik basariyla ogrenme ciktilarinin gerceklestirilmesi arasindaki iliski incelenmistir. Ayrica ogrencilerin ogrenim gordukleri alanin ve cinsiyetlerinin bu degerlendirmedeki etkisi arastirilmistir. Arastirmanin sonuclari, e-ogrenme ile gerceklestirilen 2 derse ait ogrenme ciktilarinin “beklenen duzeyin uzerinde “ gerceklestigini gostermektedir. Derslerden biri olan Afetler ve Zararlarinin Azaltilmasi dersi icin akademik basari ile ogrenme ciktilarini gerceklestirme duzeyi arasinda bir iliski bulunamamistir. Bu sonuc, bu ders iceriginin bireysel kazanimlara yonelik olmasi nedeniyle bu kazanimlarin ogrenciler tarafindan akademik basaridan daha etkili ve onemli olduguna inandiklarini gostermektedir

Incorporating cultural competency skills in emergency management education

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to incorporate a model of prejudice reduction and cultural identity development theory to assess: the implementation of a diversity case study in a disaster management course; and the cultural competency understanding among the students.Design/methodology/approach– A diversity case study was implemented in an undergraduate Disaster Response and Recovery course (Fall 2013n=17; Spring 2014n=21; Fall 2014n=35). The discussion encouraged students to contemplate how their biases, preconceived notions, and stereotypes affect their future role in emergency management.Findings– Results from Likert scale pre/post tests showed a marked increase in knowledge and a positive change in attitudes (p&lt; 0.05). Open-responses denoted linkages to the prejudice reduction model and cultural identity development theory.Research limitations/implications– Bias can be attributed to the instructor and facilitator, and contextual limitations including a lack of: previous conversations and courses on diversity-related topics and participation motivation.Practical implications– By developing cultural competency, managers initiate intergroup contact reducing negative perceptions and increasing empathy for those deemed different. Integrating cultural competency into emergency management academic programs allows students to identify how their biases, stereotypes, and preconceived notions affect their performance.Originality/value– This study contributes to the literature by focussing on implementing a diversity case study to explore cultural competency, which is lacking in emergency management higher education. The diversity case study and instructional design could be adopted in disaster management courses.

Education in Disaster Management and Emergencies: Defining a New European Course.

Unremitting natural disasters, deliberate threats, pandemics, and humanitarian suffering resulting from conflict situations necessitate swift and effective response paradigms. The European Union's (EU) increasing visibility as a disaster response enterprise suggests the need not only for financial contribution but also for instituting a coherent disaster response approach and management structure. The DITAC (Disaster Training Curriculum) project identified deficiencies in current responder training approaches and analyzed the characteristics and content required for a new, standardized European course in disaster management and emergencies. Over 35 experts from within and outside the EU representing various organizations and specialties involved in disaster management composed the DITAC Consortium. These experts were also organized into 5 specifically tasked working groups. Extensive literature reviews were conducted to identify requirements and deficiencies and to craft a new training concept based on research trends and lessons learned. A pilot course and program dissemination plan was also developed. The lack of standardization was repeatedly highlighted as a serious deficiency in current disaster training methods, along with gaps in the command, control, and communication levels. A blended and competency-based teaching approach using exercises combined with lectures was recommended to improve intercultural and interdisciplinary integration. The goal of a European disaster management course should be to standardize and enhance intercultural and inter-agency performance across the disaster management cycle. A set of minimal standards and evaluation metrics can be achieved through consensus, education, and training in different units. The core of the training initiative will be a unit that presents a realistic situation "scenario-based training."

Terrorist Bomb Blasts: Emergency department management of multiple incidents

Objective: To assess the preparedness of the hospital emergency system and medical personnel’s in dealing trauma victims of terrorist bomb blasts in Accident and Emergency. Patients and Methods: Four major terrorist bomb blasts incidents occurred in Karachi from December 2012 to May 2014. All patients of these 4 incidents were brought to Accident and emergency of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center. Place and type of bomb blast, their initial search and rescue, transfer and transportation noted. Data collected of these patients at Accident and emergency of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, regarding triage, primary and secondary survey with adjuncts performed. Data was also collected from emergency operation theatres, Intensive care unit and admissions in wards. Time taken for early and effective management and disposal to different departments noted. Results: Total victims of these four bomb blast incidents were 179. Nineteen were brought dead, 8 more died within two hours, due to multiple system involvement which made total deaths 27 (15%). The patients were triaged with color coding, 44% of these patients were red and yellow, and 41% patients were of minor injuries and were labeled green. Total 67 (41.8%) underwent damage control surgery within two hours of arrival at accident and emergency. Most of the admissions were of Orthopedics and Chest surgery. Conclusion: Effective and early disposal of patients from Accident and Emergency needs collaborative efforts of hospital administration following comprehensive disaster plan &amp; preparedness. Trained triage team with quick surgical response needs trauma training, disaster management courses and drill exercises for doctors and health workers. Keywords: Terrorist bombing, Preparedness, Triage, mass casualties, management.

A Novel Approach to Combining Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Global Health Fellowships.

To describe the creation of the first known combined Pediatric Emergency Medicine-Global Health (PEM-GH) fellowship for graduates of pediatric or emergency medicine residency programs. We detail the necessary infrastructure for a successfully combined PEM-GH fellowship including goals, objectives, curriculum, timeline, and funding. The fellowship is jointly supported by the department of pediatrics, section of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM), and the hospital. Fellows complete all requirements for the PEM fellowship and Global Health, the latter requiring an additional 12 months of training. Components of the Global Health fellowship include international fieldwork, scholarly activity abroad, advanced degree coursework, disaster training, and didactic curricula. Since 2005, 9 fellows (8 pediatric-trained and 1 emergency medicine-trained) have completed or are enrolled in the PEM-GH fellowship; 3 have graduated. All fellows have completed or are working toward advanced degrees and have or will participate in the disaster management course. Fellows have had 7 presentations at national or international meetings and have published 6 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Of the three graduates, all are working in academic PEM-GH programs and work internationally in Africa and/or Latin America. Our response to a global trend toward improvement in PEM care was the development of the first combined PEM-GH fellowship program. Recognizing the value of this program within our own institution, we now offer it as a model for building such programs in the future. This fellowship program promises to be a paradigm that can be used nationally and internationally, and it establishes a foundation for a full-fledged accredited and certified subspecialty.

3D APPLICATIONS IN DISASTER MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT: CORE RESULTS OF DITAC PROJECT

Abstract. According to statistical data, natural disasters as well as the number of people affected by them are occurring with increasing frequency compared to the past. This situation is also seen in Europe Union; So, Strengthening the EU capacity to respond to Disasters is very important. This paper represents the baseline results of the FP-7 founded DITAC project, which aims to develop a holistic and highly structured curriculum for responders and strategic crisis managers. Up-to-date geospatial information is required in order to create an effective disaster response plan. Common sources for geospatial information such as Google Earth, GIS databases, and aerial surveys are frequently outdated, or insufficient. This limits the effectiveness of disaster planning. Disaster Management has become an issue of growing importance. Planning for and managing large scale emergencies is complex. The number of both victims and relief workers is large and the time pressure is extreme. Emergency response and triage systems with 2D user interfaces are currently under development and evaluation. Disasters present a number of spatially related problems and an overwhelming quantity of information. 3D user interfaces are well suited for intuitively solving basic emergency response tasks. Such tasks include commanding rescue agents and prioritizing the disaster victims according to the severity of their medical condition. Further, 3D UIs hold significant potential for improving the coordination of rescuers as well as their awareness of relief workers from other organizations. This paper describes the outline of a module in a Disaster Management Course related to 3D Applications in Disaster Mitigation and Management. By doing this, the paper describes the gaps in existing systems and solutions. Satellite imageries and digital elevation data of Turkey are investigated for detecting sites prone to natural hazards. Digital image processing methods used to enhance satellite data and to produce morphometric maps in order to contribute to the detection of causal factors related to landslides, local site conditions influencing and/or experiencing earthquake damage intensity or those of tsunami and storm surge hazard sites at the coasts.