大多数美国医院对大规模伤亡未作好准备
NEW YORK, Oct 15 (Reuters Health) - Amidst increasing reports of anthrax and anthrax scares in the United States and growing fears of bioterrorism, a team of West Virginia researchers reports that most US hospitals are not prepared to treat mass casualties resulting from a biological, chemical or nuclear attack.
"The current situation--lack of hospital preparedness--is a sign of the changing times," study author Dr. Janet M. Williams of West Virginia University in Morgantown, told Reuters Health.
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"Until September 11th, many did not believe that such terrorism would (or) could occur," she said. "The (anthrax) outbreaks only confirm the need for federal resources to be directed at improving the healthcare system's capability to improve awareness, detect, respond and manage victims of possible bio/chemical terrorism."
To investigate the current state of hospital preparedness, Williams and her colleagues interviewed 17 medical directors and 13 nurse managers of emergency departments in 30 rural and urban hospitals in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
, 百拇医药
None of the officials interviewed said that their facility was fully prepared to handle a biological or chemical weapons incident, the authors report in the November issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Slightly more than a quarter of respondents--all from urban hospitals--said their site was "somewhat prepared" for a biologic and chemical weapons incident, but roughly three-quarters said that their facility was not at all prepared.
, http://www.100md.com
One individual reported that his or her site, which happened to be located near a nuclear power plant, was fully prepared for a nuclear weapons incident. Yet this site was reportedly not fully prepared for an attack with biological or chemical weapons.
On the other hand, about 27% of the hospitals surveyed had incorporated preparedness for biologic, chemical and nuclear incidents into their disaster plans, and more than 85% of respondents reported that their emergency departments would be able to manage between 10 and 50 such casualties at a time. One official, whose hospital was located in a major metropolitan area, said that the facility could handle 500 casualties at a time.
, 百拇医药
Further, 20% of respondents, all from urban hospitals, said that their facility had conducted biologic, chemical or nuclear incident disaster drills that included emergency medical personnel, officials from the fire and police departments and, in one case, the Public Health Service, the authors report.
Vaccines, other than tetanus, were not stockpiled by any of the hospitals, according to the respondents, but one individual reported that his or her site's pharmacy was fully stocked with ciprofloxacin in case of anthrax exposure.
, http://www.100md.com
"Hospital personnel are already aware of the (lack of preparedness) issue, and at this time, I believe they would welcome initiatives related to (weapons of mass destruction) preparedness," Williams said.
"We are hoping that our study will help persuade policymakers that funds are needed to support hospital preparedness planning," she added.
The study was funded by the United States Department of Justice., http://www.100md.com
"The current situation--lack of hospital preparedness--is a sign of the changing times," study author Dr. Janet M. Williams of West Virginia University in Morgantown, told Reuters Health.
, http://www.100md.com
"Until September 11th, many did not believe that such terrorism would (or) could occur," she said. "The (anthrax) outbreaks only confirm the need for federal resources to be directed at improving the healthcare system's capability to improve awareness, detect, respond and manage victims of possible bio/chemical terrorism."
To investigate the current state of hospital preparedness, Williams and her colleagues interviewed 17 medical directors and 13 nurse managers of emergency departments in 30 rural and urban hospitals in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
, 百拇医药
None of the officials interviewed said that their facility was fully prepared to handle a biological or chemical weapons incident, the authors report in the November issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Slightly more than a quarter of respondents--all from urban hospitals--said their site was "somewhat prepared" for a biologic and chemical weapons incident, but roughly three-quarters said that their facility was not at all prepared.
, http://www.100md.com
One individual reported that his or her site, which happened to be located near a nuclear power plant, was fully prepared for a nuclear weapons incident. Yet this site was reportedly not fully prepared for an attack with biological or chemical weapons.
On the other hand, about 27% of the hospitals surveyed had incorporated preparedness for biologic, chemical and nuclear incidents into their disaster plans, and more than 85% of respondents reported that their emergency departments would be able to manage between 10 and 50 such casualties at a time. One official, whose hospital was located in a major metropolitan area, said that the facility could handle 500 casualties at a time.
, 百拇医药
Further, 20% of respondents, all from urban hospitals, said that their facility had conducted biologic, chemical or nuclear incident disaster drills that included emergency medical personnel, officials from the fire and police departments and, in one case, the Public Health Service, the authors report.
Vaccines, other than tetanus, were not stockpiled by any of the hospitals, according to the respondents, but one individual reported that his or her site's pharmacy was fully stocked with ciprofloxacin in case of anthrax exposure.
, http://www.100md.com
"Hospital personnel are already aware of the (lack of preparedness) issue, and at this time, I believe they would welcome initiatives related to (weapons of mass destruction) preparedness," Williams said.
"We are hoping that our study will help persuade policymakers that funds are needed to support hospital preparedness planning," she added.
The study was funded by the United States Department of Justice., http://www.100md.com