bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
(A330) Training Agricultural Emergency Responders
Authors: Cowen P.L. 
Published: May 2011

Training Agricultural Emergency Responders by Paula L. Cowen, D.V.M., Director, Professional Development Staff, Veterinary Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of AgricultureBackground Emergency Response is a critical component of our Animal Agriculture infrastructure. The ability to deploy trained personnel to handle any kind of emergency is key to quickly containing any disaster and mitigating the effects. This training is provided by a number of federal agencies, universities as well as at the state and local level.BodySeveral training strategies are employed by a number of different entities. Training is available on-line, in the classroom, with wet labs using live animals, through exercises and case studies. An overview of training and education of Agricultural Emergency Response personnel across the United States will be covered with a more in depth look at the training provided by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service.ConclusionThe Professional Development Staff provides technical training in disease identification and control, emergency response, import/export, and other topics as needed. Protecting and promoting American Animal Agriculture is our core mission. Veterinary Services provides leadership at the intersection of Animal and Public Health concerns.
(A332) Increasing Medical Situational Awareness and Interoperability via “Virtual USA”
Authors: Andress K. 
Published: May 2011

IntroductionHistory is replete with interoperability and resource reporting deficits during disaster that impact medical response and planning. Situational awareness for disaster and emergency medical response includes communicating health hazards as well as infrastructure and resource status, capability and GIS location. The need for actionable, real-time data is crucial to response. Awareness facilitates medical resource placement, response and recovery. A number of internet, web-based disaster resource and situational status reporting applications exist but may be limited or restricted by functional, jurisdictional, proprietary and/or financial requirements. Restrictions prohibit interoperability and inhibit information sharing that could affect health care delivery. Today multiple United States jurisdictions are engaged in infrastructure and resource situation status reporting via “virtual” states and regional projects considered components of “Virtual USA”.MethodsThis report introduces the United States' Department of Homeland Security's “Virtual USA” initiative and demonstrates a health application and interoperability via “Virtual Louisiana's” oil spill related exposure reporting during the 2010, British Petroleum Gulf Horizon catastrophe. Five weekly Louisiana Department of Health and Hospital summary reports from the Louisiana Poison Center; Hospital Surveillance Systems; Public Health Hotline; and Physician Clinic Offices were posted on the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness's “Virtual Louisiana”.Results227 total spill-related, exposure cases from five reporting weeks were provided by five Louisiana source agencies and reported in Virtual Louisiana. Cases were reported weekly and classified as “workers” or “population”; associated with the parish exposure locations (8), offshore (1), or unknown (1); and shared with four other virtual states.ConclusionsReal-time health and medical situation status, resource awareness, and incident impact could be facilitated through constructs demonstrated by “Virtual USA”.
(A335) Emergent use of Social Media: A New Age of Opportunity for Disaster Resilience
Authors: Keim M. 
Published: May 2011

BackgroundSocial media (SM) are forms of information and communication technology disseminated through social interaction. SM rely upon peer-to-peer (P2P) networks that are collaborative, decentralized, and community-driven transforming people from content consumers into content producers. The role of SM in disaster management galvanized during the world response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. (Pew 2010) During the immediate aftermath, much of what people around the world were learning about the earthquake originated from SM sources. (Nielsenwire 2010) During the first 2 weeks following the earthquake, “texting” mobile phone users donated over $25 million to the American Red Cross. (Sysomos 2010) Both public and private response agencies used Google Maps™. Millions joined MySpace™ and Facebook ™discussion groups to share information, donate money, and offer support. SM has also been described as “remarkably well organized, self correcting, accurate and concentrated”, calling into question the ingrained view of unidirectional, official-to-public information broadcasts. (Sutton, et al 2008) SM may also offer potential psychological benefit for vulnerable populations gained through participation as stakeholders in the response. (Sutton, et al 2008) (Laor 2003)DiscussionHowever, widespread use of SM also involves several important challenges for disaster management. Although SM is growing rapidly, it remains less widespread and accessible than traditional media. Also, public officials often view person to person communications as “backchannels” with potential to spread misinformation and rumor. (Akre 2010) In addition, in absence of the normal checks and balances that regulate traditional media, privacy rights violations can occur as people use SM to describe personal events and circumstances. (Palen 2007)
(A336) Sustaining Telecommunications Capability and Capacity during Acute Phase of Disasters and Disaster Responses
Authors: Gardner-Stephen P. 
Published: May 2011

BackgroundTelecommunications plays a critical enabling role in disaster response, both for the local population and for responses of external origin. However, it is common for telecommunications capacity to be reduced or disabled by the disaster or emergency. Meanwhile, the disaster stimulates demand for any remaining capacity, often resulting in total loss of telecommunications capability during the acute phase of a disaster and its response.Discussion and ObservationsThe Serval Project is addressing this through the implementation of a mesh mobile telephony system that is compatible with some existing mobile telephone handsets, and can be integrated into many more models without changing handset hardware designs or cost. This technology allows mobile telephones to directly communicate with one another, and allows telephone calls to be made without infrastructure beyond the telephones themselves. Our Distributed Numbering Architecture allows the telephones to use their existing telephone numbers, so that communications can continue immediately and without impediment when needed. The telephones self-organise, and relay calls for distant telephones, thus forming their own resilient telecommunications infrastructure that is able to remain operative during all phases of a disaster and its response, thus addressing an important vulnerability of the existing infrastructure-oriented approach to telecommunications. We see applications that include supporting communities in maintaining communication in order that medical and public health effects of emergencies can be responded to more effectively and potentially providing ready access to communications for distributed teams of emergency health and humanitarian workers in disasters. Our goal in creating this technology and removing all barriers to adoption is to facilitate its ubiquitous inclusion in new mobile telephones, so that we can leverage the mass production of consumer electronics to create a resilient telecommunications capacity that can be deployed anywhere without supporting infrastructure. This would enable the creation of, for example, networks consisting solely of used telephones.
(A314) Role of Medical Rehabilitation in Acute Disaster Response
Authors: Rathore F.A. 
Published: May 2011

IntroductionNatural Disasters result in a sudden onslaught of huge numbers of catastrophic and disabling injuries including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, limb amputations, long bone fractures and peripheral nerve injuries. In addition to these there are persons with pre-existing disabilities in the affected disaster zones. Oftentimes disasters overwhelm the available resources and rehabilitation services are usually underdeveloped in most parts of the disaster affected zones. Both challenges are frequently neglected and not included in disaster response planning. As a consequence, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) has traditionally played no or little role in the post disaster phase and disaster planning.MethodologyThe data was derived from an English language literature search (1950–2010) using Pubmed, Google Scholar, Sciencedirect, Ovid, and Sagepub. Other sources of data included discussion with subject matter experts and the author's personal experience.ResultsPRM has not historically become actively engaged in medical rehabilitation of injuries until 24-48 hours post-event. The emergence of the discipline of disaster rehabilitation however, advances PMR into the emergency response phase. This paper describes the disability pattern after disasters, shortcomings in the traditional disaster response with reference to PMR interventions and disabled populations and its negative consequences. It then explores the rehabilitation interventions offered in different disaster scenarios during the last decade and its positive impact in achieving a better outcome for the new onset and pre-existing disabled population.ConclusionsThis is the first paper in biomedical literature exploring the possible role of PRM in the post disaster phase. The paper offers recommendations to include PRM in the disaster response phase and possible plans of action for organizations working in the fields of disability and disaster management. It is expected that this paper will guide future research and establishment of the field of Disaster Rehabilitation.
(A349) The Role of Poison Centers in the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill Response
Authors: Ryan M. 
Published: May 2011

IntroductionThere are 60 Poison Centers in the United States that manage over 2.5 million poison exposure calls each year. A poison center can be reached 24 hours a day by dialing a national 800 hotline. Poison Centers are staffed by Specialists in Poison Information who are highly trained in clinical toxicology and are very skilled in telephone triage.DiscussionATSDR and the Poison Centers in HHS/FEMA Region 6 developed draft guidance for incorporating Poison Centers into the National Response Plan. That framework was used to incorporate Poison Centers into the gulf oil spill response of 2010. The National Poison hotline was promoted to provide medical support for those with health effects or health questions related to the spill. During the response the surveillance capabilities of the National Poison Data System (NPDS) were highlighted. The Louisiana Poison Center (LPC) and the other gulf states Poison Centers provided information on health effects related to the spill. Information was provided by the LPC to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health Section of Epidemiology and Environmental Toxicology, public information officer to assist in briefing the Governor, the Louisiana Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to post to the Virtual Louisiana website, as well as ATSDR, CDC, EPA, and other agencies participating in the gulf response unified command. Poison Centers, for the first time, participated in a response on a national level, providing medical support for those with symptoms or medical questions related to the spill. In addition to assisting in the medical care of those exposed to substances related to the oil spill and the response efforts, Poison Centers also responded to questions about air and water quality and seafood safety.ConclusionPoison Centers are a valuable resource to assist in emergency response plans.
(P1-15) Russian Mobile Hospital Response to the Earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, October 2009
Authors: Petlakh V.I. , Bojko N.V. , Demenko V.V. , Popov A.S. 
Published: May 2011

IntroductionA destructive 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Sumatra Island of Indonesia on 30 September 2009. A Russian mobile hospital was implemented on 04 October in the village of Lupu-Alu, 20 km from the city of Padang.MethodThe mobile hospital consisted of 20 pneumo modules equipped with technical systems. Personnel included 9 engineers and 25 medical specialists comprised of surgeons, therapists, traumatologists, children's surgeons, a pediatrician, and anesthesiologists. An air-mobile hospital was equipped with modern medical equipment (X-ray, ultrasonic diagnostics, etc.). Work at the hospital was complicated by almost daily tropical rains. The language barrier was addressed by using local translators who spoke Russian or English languages.ResultsMedical aid was rendered to 479 patients. The intensive care department experienced the heaviest patient load (n = 11). Trauma (n = 54, 2%) and proinflammatory complications prevailed among surgical patients (n = 131). Treatment of bone fractures represented significant difficulties due to the late delivery of care. Of the 479 patients, 207 (43.2%) were children; among them, 49 (7%) had diseases of the upper airways, and 30 (4%) experienced trauma. Psychologists consulted with 52 children with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Telemedical consultations were conducted by the following specialists: (1) orthopedist (n = 2); (2) dermatologist (n = 2); (3) neurosurgeon (n = 1); and (4) plastic surgeon (n = 1).ConclusionsFollowing the earthquake, medical personnel at the Russian mobile hospital in Indonesia experienced: (1) a large number of outpatients with various diseases who lacked medical care as a result of the non-functioning network of local public health services; (2) the admission of the patients with complications of trauma; (3) a significant number of children with inflammatory diseases of the upper airways; and (4) an opportunity of use telemedical consultations.
(P1-16) Local Health-Related Capacities in the Northern Haiti Post-Earthquake Response
Authors: King R.A. , Thomas D.S.K. , Montas S. , Minn P. , Varda D. , Sasson C. , Ansari S. 
Published: May 2011

BackgroundThe January 2010 earthquake affected many services in Haiti, including health care. After the disaster, top-down response from international sources seemed like the only solution. While the existing health system was fragile, opportunities likely existed for incorporating bottom-up approaches in the capital and other cities, such as Cap Haitien in the North.ObjectiveThe study aims to: (1) identify available local health-related resources; (2) examine how these were, or were not, utilized in response efforts; and (3) evaluate the level of coordination among health delivery groups, particularly preparedness and recovery.MethodsThis case study included 11 key informant interviews at two hospitals (six at Justinian and five at Milot) and an organizational analysis of cooperation among 16 health-related organizations operating in northern Haiti. Disaster preparedness and recovery data for the health-sector organizations were obtained using a validated survey instrument and the Program to Analyze, Record, and Track Networks to Enhance Relationships (PARTNER) tool that uses the principles of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to elucidate the makeup of collaborative relationships.ResultsDuring the response phase, command-and-control approaches from international healthcare organizations had a roll given the numbers of people affected and the overwhelmed local response capabilities. Pre-disaster vulnerabilities limited response capacity. Even during response, opportunities existed for integrating established groups. Generally, this was not a model utilized by international organizations, although some examples were present.ConclusionsThe external infusion of money, priorities, and forces potentially may harm the current system, rather than build upon it. International aid provides free health services beyond treatment of earthquake-related injuries, taking the place of some service functions of the Haitian system. Eventually, this could erode aspects of the Haitian health system. Alternative models of aid may better incorporate and integrate existing structures. Disaster planning is linked intrinsically to strengthening the health system as a whole.
(P1-19) Disaster Medical System in APEC Japan 2010
Authors: Kondo H. 
Published: May 2011

Background and MethodThe preparedness for mass casualty is needed in political event. We have the experience to build up the disaster medical system in G8 summit in Okinawa and Hokkaido. But these two areas were resort area which had little population. This time Japan hosted APEC JAPAN 2010 which held in Yokohama City. We reported disaster medical system for this event in big city.ResultWe mobilized DMAT from 21 hospitals whole Japan. We set 11 teams in Yokohama city, 10 teams in 2 Airports. DMAT inspected rerated disaster base hospitals. These hospitals made the plan for receive mass casualty included the victims by CBRNE event and had the exercise. They set up the decontamination system during APEC leader's week. We also have the contingency plan to coordinate with fire department. This contingency plan included transportation plan for hospitals and coordination plan in site. In transportation plan, sever casualty transported dispersal for hospital in Yokohama within 25. For over 25, sever casualty transported intensive for 4 hospitals in Yokohama. After stabilization treatment in these hospitals, the casualty transported dispersal from these hospitals to outside of Yokohama. In coordinate plan in site included job description in command and control, decontamination and medical relief post.DiscussionWe established disaster medical system for APEC JAPAN 2010. This event hold in Yokohama City had the big population. Compare with former G8 summit, medical system put importance in mass casualty event. As a result, non mass casualty event happened. But this preparedness will contribute not only future same kind events but also accidental mass casualty event such as train accident.
(P1-20) Disasters and Women's Health: The 2010 Earthquake in Haiti
Authors: Bloem C. , Miller A. 
Published: May 2011

BackgroundRecent reports have highlighted the health disparities that women and other vulnerable populations experience following disasters. Humanitarian groups have struggled to implement effective measures to mitigate such disparities during subsequent disasters.ObjectivesTo analyze and provide practical solutions to mitigate barrier's to women's health encountered in Haiti following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January 2010.MethodsIn February 2010, a New York based team of emergency and international medicine specialists staffed the mobile emergency department in Port au Prince at L'Hôpital de l'Université d'Etat d'Haïti.ResultsCommon presentations included infectious diseases, traumatic injuries, chronic disease exacerbations, and follow-up for earthquake-associated conditions. Female gender-specific problems included vaginal infections, breast pain or masses, pregnancy-related concerns, and the effects of gender-based violence. Identified barriers to effective gender-specific care included communication, camp geography, supply availability, and poor inter-organization communication.DiscussionRecent disasters in Haiti, Pakistan, and elsewhere have challenged the international health community to provide gender-balanced healthcare in sub-optimal environments. Much room for improvement remains. Although our assessment team was gender-balanced, improved incorporation of Haitian personnel may have enhanced patient trust, and improved cultural sensitivity and communication. Camp geography should foster both patient privacy and security during sensitive examinations. This could have been improved upon by geographically separating men's and women's treatment areas and using a barrier screen to generate a more private examination environment. Women's health supplies must include an appropriate exam table, emergency obstetrical and midwifery supplies, urine dipsticks, and sanitary and reproductive health supplies. A referral system must be established for patients requiring a higher level-of-care. Lastly, improved inter-organization communication and promotion of resource pooling may improve treatment access and quality for select gender-based interventions.ConclusionSimple inexpensive modifications to organized post-disaster medical relief settings may dramatically reduce gender-based healthcare disparities.
(P1-22) Emergency Management Plan for H1N1 Major Epidemic Event – An Experience of a Private Hospital in Sao Paulo – Brazil
Authors: Tucherman M. , Vaidotas M. , Sako Y.K. , Akamine N. , Smaletz D. , Barros C.G. 
Published: May 2011

ObjectiveTo describe the Emergency Management Plan for H1N1 Major Epidemic Event to reduce the impact of the patients in a general emergency department.MethodEinstein hospital has a catastrophe management program which is regularly tested for several scenarios: accidents, fire, and biological attack among others. Special concern is given for pandemics since we need to keep employees' fit to keep the hospital running as usual.ResultsOn April 24, WHO issued an alert about the rising cases of influenza virus H1N1. Immediately we provided a plan of care for suspected or confirmed cases based on WHO and CDC guidelines. On April 29 increased level of alert to Phase 5 (pandemic imminent). The crisis management group created a multidisciplinary team with actions directed to Einstein's doctors and staff, 6,000 registered professionals, engineering, emergency care, laboratory, occupational medicine, hygiene, waste disposal, among others. Communication was maintained with government to update the official guidelines. Two specific drills were performed to train staff and support teams. Debriefings were made to all participants and lessons learnt were incorporated.ResultsOfficial figures showed that in São Paulo until August 2 have been reported 6,383 cases, 11.8% (756 cases) of these were reported by HIAE. From 5 May 2009 to 05 December 2009, 1,324 cases were reported. There were only four deaths of patients with influenza A H1N1 and two acquired in hospital and the daily business were not compromised by the epidemic showing the importance of a crises management plan.ConclusionThe methodology of realistic simulations has showed effectiveness in the planning of how to manage Major Epidemic Events and improvement actions from this exercise has been showing best results for the patient flow and safety whenever this kind of situation happens at Hospital Albert Eisntein.