Mass-casualty incidents (MCI) are a highly important issue in disaster medicine today. In this context, professional first responders play a fundamental role as they provide preparedness and initial care to the injured. The aim of this review is to describe the form and impact of different didactic concepts in triage exercises to prepare for an MCI response.

A Scoping review search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Medline, and Psyndex as an initial examination of this topic.

Seventeen studies were included in this review. Of the reviewed studies, 52.9% followed a randomized controlled trial design with pre-post intervention measurement. The interventions implemented in the studies were associated with an increase in knowledge and/or practical skills. Of media-based interventions, 42.9% show a comparable and 57.1% greater training effect than conventional teaching methods. According to 4 studies, technical and non-technical aids increase the triage accuracy.

The benefits of media-based interventions and of technical and non-technical aids should be evaluated by a subsequent systematic review with a broader database and search terms of studies. The differences between different triage algorithms need to be investigated in future studies. It must be noted that intervention is preferable to non-intervention.

As temperatures globally continue to rise, sporting events such as marathons will take place on warmer days, increasing the risk of exertional heat stroke (EHS).

The medical librarian developed and executed comprehensive searches in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. Relevant keywords were selected. The results underwent title, abstract, and full text screening in a web-based tool called Covidence, and were analyzed for pertinent data.

A total of 3918 results were retrieved. After duplicate removal and title, abstract, and full text screening, 38 articles remained for inclusion. There were 22 case reports, 12 retrospective reviews, and 4 prospective observational studies. The races included half marathons, marathons, and other long distances. In the case reports and retrospective reviews, the mean environmental temperatures were 21.3°C and 19.8°C, respectively. Discussions emphasized that increasing environmental temperatures result in higher incidences of EHS.

With rising global temperatures from climate change, athletes are at higher risk of EHS. Early ice water immersion is the best treatment for EHS. Earlier start times and cooling stations for races may mitigate incidences of EHS. Future work needs to concentrate on the establishment of EHS prevention and mitigation protocols.

The aim of the present scoping review is to provide a comprehensive description and classification of the published research studies on education and training of paramedics and paramedic students in the context of disaster management with emphasis on educational/training techniques and their efficacy and the recent trends in this evolving field. The review is also designed to identify the main research gaps and to suggest recommendations for future research plans.

PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were searched. Studies were included in the final analysis if they studied any aspect of paramedics or paramedic students’ education or training in the context of disaster management.

Forty-three studies fulfilled the selection criteria. Three themes were identified: 1) Conventional disaster education/training techniques; 2) Smart technology-based disaster education/training techniques; and 3) Development of and/or assessment of disaster education/training courses, programs, packages, or curricula.

While disaster triage training is the focus of many studies, a new trend is emerging that integrates smart technology into educational and training programs. Also, there is increasing international interest in developing disaster training programs and curricula.

Disaster risk reduction measures are now being developed based on social vulnerability. This study aimed to identify socially vulnerable areas to disasters in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.

The research utilized a mixed method approach conducted in 2 stages. First, a vulnerability index was created using 8 sub-indices, and the value of the index was calculated for each of the 91 rural districts in the study area. In the second stage, spatial analysis using Anselin’s Local Moran’s I was performed to identify the most vulnerable districts.

Results indicated that 40 of 91 districts, covering 49% of the total area, had high social vulnerability to disasters. Anselin’s Local Moran’s I analysis identified 2 high-high clusters consisting of 5 districts. The study also found that areas with higher social vulnerability were more susceptible to natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes.

Nearly half of the studied areas exhibited a high level of social vulnerability and were at risk of natural disasters. Implementing general measures to improve the socio-economic status of the population, such as increasing education and income levels, along with specific actions like assisting vulnerable populations in relocating to safer areas, can help mitigate disaster risks.

The study objective was to identify the specific challenges experienced by nurses, assess the mental health impacts, and evaluate their role adaptation in response to the ongoing conflict.

A quantitative, descriptive study was conducted involving 202 nurses from 3 hospitals in the South West Bank. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire addressing socio-demographic information, psychological challenges, and role adaptation during the conflict.

The study surveyed 300 nurses, revealing critical findings regarding their psychological well-being and professional challenges. Approximately 65% of respondents reported experiencing symptoms consistent with PTSD, indicating a significant psychological toll due to their work conditions. In terms of workload, 78% of nurses reported an increased patient influx, leading to higher stress levels and burnout. The analysis indicated that nurses faced severe resource shortages, with 60% reporting inadequate medical supplies and 55% citing insufficient staffing.

The findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced training programs, mental health support, and improved disaster management protocols. Educational background and marital status significantly influence nurses’ resilience and adaptability in conflict zones. Addressing these challenges is essential to improving the well-being of nurses and enhancing the quality of care in conflict-affected areas.

Comprising the largest group of health care professionals, nurses play a great role and assume many responsibilities during disaster periods, when the public needs health care services the most. The aim of this study was to reveal the experiences of nurses assigned to the disaster area during relief efforts after the February 6, 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye.

This qualitative and descriptive study used the maximum variation sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, and was completed with 20 nurses. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Four main themes emerged from the experiences of the nurses who provided health care services in the disaster area: experiences related to pre-mission processes, experiences during the mission, post-mission experiences, and recommendations for disaster preparedness.

Nurses’ experiences and suggestions revealed in this study may inform future disaster preparedness and disaster management plans, and this study’s results point to the need for the development of professional nursing skills in disaster management.

The overall objective of this study is to shed light on the disaster preparedness status of geriatric patients visiting tertiary hospitals in Istanbul while assessing the relationship between frailty scores, self-efficacy, and independence among geriatric patients.

This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Emergency Medicine Departments of 2 tertiary centers in Istanbul. In the survey, health and frailty status, demographics, and earthquake preparedness and planning were assessed. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), and PRISMA-7 score were administered. Contingency tables were constructed to examine the associations between frailty categories and categorical outcomes related to disaster preparedness, self-efficacy, and independence.

A small portion (5.4%) of patients had received earthquake preparedness training. Regarding emergency preparedness, 32.4% had easy access to a list of emergency contacts, and 32.1% knew the location of the emergency kit. A relationship was found between the presence of an earthquake preparedness kit and the CFS and TFI (P<0.005). All the self-efficacy and independence parameters needed during disasters were found to be significantly higher among frailer patients (P<0.005).

Inadequate disaster preparedness, characterized by low self-efficacy and high external dependence, are influenced by frailty. Enhancing disaster preparedness requires identifying and supporting frail individuals.

The aims of this study were to field and pilot test the Korean version of the Household Emergency Preparedness Instrument (K-HEPI) and perform psychometric testing of the instrument’s reliability and validity.

The English to Korean translation followed a symmetrical translation approach utilizing a decentered process (i.e., both the source and target languages were considered equally important) focusing on the instruments remaining loyal to the content. After translation, the K-HEPI was field tested with 30 bilingual participants who all reported that the instructions were easy to understand and the items aligned closely with the original English version. The K-HEPI was then pilot tested with 399 Korean-speaking participants in a controlled, before-after study utilizing a disaster preparedness educational intervention.

Confirmatory factor analyses supported the K-HEPI retaining the factor structure of the original English version. The K-HEPI was also found to be psychometrically comparable to the original instrument.

The K-HEPI can validly and reliably assess the disaster preparedness of Korean-speaking populations, enabling clinicians, researchers, emergency management professionals, and policymakers to gather accurate data on disaster preparedness levels in Korean communities, identify gaps in preparedness, develop targeted interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of disaster preparedness interventions over time.

This study aimed to examine emergency transport times considering closed roads to propose more efficient transport routes to improve the life-saving rate for seriously injured people in Sapporo during an earthquake disaster. Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and has a population of approximately 1.97 million as of 2020.

Transport routes were created using publicly available data and a geographic information system (GIS), and the emergency transport times in Sapporo were subsequently calculated. Closed roads were defined as roads in “areas with high liquefaction potential” and “areas with a total house destruction rate ≥20%.”

Closed roads were concentrated in the northeastern part of the city, as were extended emergency transport times, with delays of up to 101 min. Other areas did not experience significant delays.

The emergency transport time was prolonged in areas with closed roads. Triage posts and semi-closed roads were also suggested to affect emergency transport times. To minimize emergency transport times, it is necessary to consider having nurses and doctors ride in ambulances to triage patients, and to coordinate with disaster base hospitals outside of the city to transport seriously injured people.

The aim was to characterize reported food- and waterborne outbreaks in Finland, 2010-2020, and to test local investigation teams’ preparedness to investigate outbreaks.

The outbreaks reported to the Finnish registry for food and waterborne outbreaks were characterized by the number of outbreaks and people fallen ill, and the causative agent. Local investigation teams’ measures and their timeliness in a simulated time-constrained case study were scored and analyzed descriptively.

In 537 outbreaks, 12 399 fell ill and 19 (0.15%) died. The causative agent remained unknown in 218 outbreaks. The local investigation teams’ median preparedness score was 15/29 (range 9-23) and the score differed markedly within regions. Differences in the speed of communication and the number of channels used were observed between the teams.

Differences between environmental health units’ scores indicated inconsistency in outbreak investigations between areas in Finland. The variability in preparedness scores was high in both the highest and lowest outbreak incidence regions. Because outbreaks occur rarely in most EHU areas, preparedness exercises are necessary to maintain investigation skills. Measures to enhance sampling would be needed because the causative agent was unknown in over 1/3 of the outbreaks. Many local investigation teams lack experience in public communication and training on communicating about outbreaks is needed.

On November 20, 2021, petroleum fuel contaminated the Red Hill well, which provides water to about 93 000 persons on Oahu, Hawaii. Initial investigations recommended further evaluations of long-term health effects of petroleum exposure in drinking water. We reviewed electronic health records of those potentially exposed to contaminated water to understand prevalence of conditions and symptoms.

A sample of persons potentially exposed during November 20, 2021-March 18, 2022 who sought care within the military health system through February 24, 2023 was identified. Abstracted records were categorized as worsening preexisting or persistent new for conditions and symptoms.

Of 653 medical charts reviewed, 357 (55%) had worsening preexisting or persistent new conditions or symptoms. Most-documented conditions included worsening preexisting migraine (8%; 50/653) and chronic pain (4%; 26/653), and persistent new migraine (2%; 14/653) and adjustment disorder (2%; 13/653). Most-documented symptoms included worsening preexisting headache (8%; 49/653) and anxiety (6%; 42/653), and persistent new rash (7%; 46/653) and headache (5%; 34/653).

Approximately half of the abstracted medical records demonstrated worsening preexisting or persistent new conditions or symptoms and might benefit from sustained access to physical, mental, and specialized health care support systems. Continued monitoring for long-term health outcomes is recommended.