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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Medium-term course of disaster victims. A naturalistic follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to describe the medium-term course (2-3 years) in a series of victims who had experienced severe trauma. METHOD: We selected a consecutive series of 31 trauma victims and applied a structured clinical schedule (CAPS-2) to their psychiatric evaluations prepared for the court on two separate occasions approximately one year apart. RESULTS: Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression were the commonest diagnoses, occurring in 39% and 16% of the victims respectively when they were first assessed. Most had improved between the assessments and this was especially the case for the re-experiencing of the trauma and over-arousal, but less so for avoidance; 20% of subjects showed no improvement, often being handicapped by secondary psychiatric illness. CONCLUSION: Traumatised victims generally showed recovery in the 2-3 years after the trauma, but this was slow and was not universal.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Identification of mass disaster victims: the Swiss identification system.

A new, simple, and reliable forensic identification system has been described. It permits the rapid and positive identification of victims of catastrophies such as airplane accidents, battles, floods, and fires. An electronic microprocessing unit directs a mechanical engraver to encode up to 13 alphanumeric characters on a small gold disk 0.25 mm thick and 2.0 mm in diameter. The identification chip is sealed in a 0.8-mm deep cavity prepared with a specially designed diamond burr in the lingual enamel of a molar tooth. The sealant is a stained composite material shown experimentally to be leakage proof, fire resistant, and readily detectable in teeth exposed to high temperatures. At the identification center the gold disk can easily be recovered and the victim positively identified without recourse to time-consuming comparison of dental records. Minimal training is required for the forensic personnel.

Color↗
PubMed2005

Disaster victim identification: Tsunami.

In the aftermath of the devastating tsunami that hit South East Asia last December, a huge operation to try to identify thousands of victims got underway, with the help of many overseas medical and dental professionals. British dentist Gareth Pearson went to Thailand to try and help in this task and here recounts his experience.

Dentists↗
PubMed1986

Status of natural disaster victims' health and recovery 1 and 3 years later.

Bereaved, property loss, and control groups (N = 155) studied 11 months following the 1980 volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens were recontacted 35 months postdisaster to test the hypotheses that the greater the loss experienced, the higher the stress, and the poorer the health. In general, the hypotheses were supported. Even though mental distress decreased between the two data collection periods, the mental health of the bereaved group remained poorer than both the property loss and control groups. At 3 years postdisaster, only 4% of the study participants reported complete recovery from disaster loss. Findings are compared with those of other recent disasters and clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Disasters↗
PubMed1991

National characteristics of dental treatment in disaster victim identification.

In this age of mass tourism it is necessary to identify repeatedly a great number of casualties. In otherwise hopeless cases of identification dental alloys can be broken down by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis and an scanning electron microscope to furnish valuable clues as to the country of their origin.

Dental Alloys↗
PubMed1985

Secondary disaster victims: the emotional effects of recovering and identifying human remains.

The author conducted a questionnaire survey of the 592 U.S. Air Force personnel involved in transporting and identifying the bodies of the almost 1,000 persons who died in Jonestown, Guyana; 225 (38%) of the personnel involved returned the questionnaire, as well as 76 (22%) of 352 individuals who were not involved in the operation. The Guyana respondents reported significantly more short-term dysphoria, which was more pronounced in those younger than 25 years of age, those who were black, those who were enlisted men rather than officers, and those with more exposure to the bodies. The author discusses the implications of these findings in planning future disaster relief programs.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Organization of surgical services for disaster victims].

The principal problems of the organization of surgical aid to the injured were considered from the analysis of the elimination of the consequences of large catastrophes which happened in the country in the recent years. The role and significance of rendering mutual and self-assistance are shown and methods for their study and mastering are suggested. At the stages of qualified and specialized aid priority is given to the work of medical service teams. Variants of their formation, financing, and working regimen are discussed. The author also discusses questions dealing with the organizational structures of the base medical institutions rendering qualified and specialized surgical service.

Commonwealth of Independent States↗
PubMed1982

Assessment of psychological reactions in disaster victims.

Through the joint efforts of the area community mental health center and an emergency relief organization, psychological reactions of flood victims were measured. A random sample of 124 adults and 54 children were interviewed, using scales reflecting measures of depression and stress. Results showed that adults perceived themselves to be significantly more depressed and stressed in areas such as adaptation and physical complaints. Children's results were mixed, depending on age, although problems existed with regressive and aggressive behaviors, fears, and in miscellaneous areas such as sleep difficulty. Recommendations are made for further community mental health involvement, as well as emphasizing the need for further empirical work in the assessment of postdisaster emotional sequelae.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Isolation of an unknown compound, from both blood of Bhopal aerosol disaster victims and residue of tank E-610 of Union Carbide India Limited--chemical characterization of the structure.

A total of more than 28 chemical entities/reaction products in the form of gases, vapour and particulate matter were reported from the tank E-610 of methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage tank of Union Carbide India Limited on the night of 2/3 December 1984 in Bhopal. In earlier studies, methyl isocyanate and its trimer, with a few other compounds, were reported in the human victims preserved in deep freeze. Randomly selected samples were analysed by gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer (ITD-800, Finnigan MAT, UK). Four of the cases showed the peaks and fragmentation pattern identified with one of the unidentified compound of molecular weight 269 amu in the Tank Residue, which constituted about 0.2 area per cent on GC-ITD. After isolation by column chromatography and being exposed to characterization, it was identified as a Spiro compound. It was possibly formed by the polymerization of five molecules of methyl isocyanate.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2004

[Evaluation of the health inpact of the floods in the Gard on respiratory health of disaster victims].

In 2002 the Gard was subjected to exceptional flooding, as much by their size as by the number of affected community victims, more than the Nimes floods in October 1988. No community was spared and more than 800 families had to be rapidly re-located. As the medical bibliography of the impact of the floods on respiratory heath was not conclusive we have proposed to the CHU of Nimes a hospital clinical research project undertaken by the members of RNSA, the Institute of Public Health of Brussels and the European Centre for Medical Bioclimate Research and Teaching, who have accepted to share their knowledge with the Gard. It seems to us to be indispensable, considering the certifications made by the professionals on the health on the department, to validate the study methods for the evaluation of the health impact of the floods, with regard to the development of moulds in the environment, so as to recognise the risk to health, in the very special circumstances, and so allow the mobilisabion of useful resources more rapidly than previously. The new floods to which the department was subjected in December 2003 made us regret that we had not developed this project more quickly.

Academies and Institutes↗