Bring life to your curriculum with this comprehensive, yet versatile book that explores core disaster medicine principles through vivid emergency medicine cases. Each case has been crafted to suit a wide range of learners – from novice to practitioner. The ready-to-teach cases are scalable and customizable to any learning environment, from low-resource teaching settings to high-fidelity simulation labs. Covering the basics of simulation to advanced disaster response strategies, cases cover natural and human-made disasters, including pandemics, building collapses, mass gathering medicine, and blast injuries, providing hands-on learning opportunities that can be used to enhance understanding and retention. Each case follows a standard structure including teaching objectives, discussion points, a timeline, and critical actions. With a mix of scenarios and flexible application, this resource will ensure every learner is prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate complexities associated with real-world emergencies while learning core disaster medicine principles.

‘This book is an essential resource that will be extremely helpful to support any medical professional who may be planning to respond to a disaster. The thoughtfully developed cases are incredible tools that help learners think through their response options (as well as the pitfalls they may encounter) before they need to act in a real-world situation. The cases cover a wide range of scenarios, from natural to human-caused disasters, and are structured to support safe and constructive discussions and learning. Learning using the simulations in this book could be considered a must-do before anyone’s first time in the field or for anyone responsible for leading medical disaster planning and response.’

Paul D. Biddinger - MD FACEP, Chief Preparedness and Continuity Officer, Mass General Brigham, Chief, MGB Division of Emergency Preparedness, Ann L. Prestipino MPH Endowed Chair in Emergency Preparedness, Director, Center for Disaster Medicine, Director, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation, and Practice (EPREP) Program

‘This book offers an unparalleled contribution to medical education, particularly in preparing healthcare professionals for the unique and often overwhelming challenges of disaster response. This comprehensive resource stands out by providing vivid, ready-to-teach cases that directly simulate rarely encountered, high-stakes scenarios, encompassing everything from natural disasters like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis to complex human-made crises such as chemical exposures and bioterrorism attacks. A scalable and customizable design ensures its utility across all learning environments, from novices to seasoned practitioners, fostering hands-on, experiential learning that aligns perfectly with how emergency medicine physicians and other learners acquire and retain critical knowledge. Emphasizing critical decision-making and resource allocation in overwhelming, resource-limited situations, it uniquely equips learners with the knowledge and skills to navigate complexities where good decisions can mean the difference between life and death for large numbers of patients.’

Selim Suner - M.D., MS, FACEP, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Surgery and Engineering, Brown University