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PubMed1991

Flash flood disaster--Nîmes, France, 1988.

On October 3, 1988, at 7:45 a.m. a flash flood occurred in the region of Nîmes, France. Though the homes of 45,000 people were damaged and more than 1,100 vehicles were destroyed, only 3 severe injuries and 9 deaths were reported. A community survey was conducted to study (1) what factors might have contributed to the limited number of deaths, (2) the reactions of the population to the disaster, and (3) the health effects associated with the impact and postimpact phases of the disaster. Overall, 108 questionnaires were completed from a systematic sample of 187 households living in ground-level dwellings in two of the most seriously affected areas of the city. Only 17% of all interviewees knew that they lived in an area subject to flood. When they realized they were in danger, 93% of all persons were in their houses or other buildings, 4% were in the streets, and 3% were in cars. Fifty-six percent of the interviewees tried to get to safety. Thirty percent of the interviewees reported that they were rescued; 20% of these persons reported being saved from a direct life threat. Neighbors (40%), family members (20%), firefighters (12%), the Red Cross (10%), and military personnel (8%) conducted rescue operations. Six percent of all members of interviewed households were reportedly suffering mild injuries that, in 70% of these cases, had been sustained during the impact phase. Health problems and injuries during the postimpact phase may have been limited by the response of trained military personnel and by the distribution of boots and gloves to other responders.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

[Natural disasters].

The attempt is made to illustrate the role played by natural disasters in the history of the earth and mankind by examples of past catastrophes. Subsequently, the earthquake of Tangshan/China in 1976 and the hypothetical scenario of a repeat of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in a modern setting serve as a basis for discussion of the significance of natural disasters in modern times.

Disasters↗
PubMed1991

Psychological interventions after child and adolescent disasters in the community.

This paper describes how a community mental health center responded to requests in dealing with disasters which impacted on communities it serves. Two events are described which illustrate the theoretical understanding and practical interventions utilized. These aspects are examined in the context of selected publications on the mental health aspects of disasters.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1989

Children in a disaster: an overview.

Most children have psychopathological reactions to disasters, which are individually-based and vary according to age, developmental level, proximity to family members, specifics of their situation, losses during and after the disaster, and the responses of the family and community. Treatment should be individualized since children's improvement is not determined by parental response.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1981

Handling the emotional response to disaster: the case for American Red Cross/community mental health collaboration.

This paper presents the theory, rationale, and a working model for integrating professional resources at the time of a disaster. Red Cross and community mental health agencies have worked for too long in parallel. A collaborative approach to meeting the emotional needs of disaster victims makes optimal use of indigenous resources; provides skill and knowledge normally lacking in each agency alone; and helps provide, through early intervention, a preventive factor to thwart long term community distress. Options for maintenance of readiness, local or regional adaptation and piloting are also discussed.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1975

Mobilizing in response to a major disaster.

In an attempt to meet the emergency needs of a major disaster in what some have termed "the greatest natural disaster in American history," the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) responded immediately by dispatching a mental health team to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, to examine and deal with the mental health needs of flood survivors. After conferring with local mental health workers and rescue officials, the team concluded that there would be long-term psychiatric sequelae of the flood and that NIMH would have a useful and important role in dealing with them. The team made its report to the Director of NIMH, Dr. Bertram S. Brown, who then assigned his executive assistant, K. Patrick Okura, the task of fleshing out the present mental health program of the area and finding out how NIMH resources could best be put to use in meeting the crisis. The NIMH program, in keeping with its tradition, consisted of three parts: service, training, and evaluation. Within a 30-day period a proposal requesting frunds for a year-long program of mental health services to the residents of the flood-affected area was approved and launched. This article describes "Operation Outreach," as the program was called.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Crisis support following the Herald of Free-Enterprise disaster: a longitudinal perspective.

Crisis support was assessed with survivors of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry sinking at 3 and 6 years postdisaster. It was found that reported levels of support received from family and friends decreased over the first 3 years after the event but increased over the subsequent 3 years. In addition, higher retrospective ratings of crisis support received in the immediate aftermath of the disaster were found to predict lower levels of posttraumatic symptomatology as assessed by the Impact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory at a later period. The results replicate earlier findings following the Jupiter Cruise ship disaster and are thought to have implications for the assessment and treatment of survivors at high risk of disturbance.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

The response of an assertive community treatment program following a natural disaster.

A newly forming model treatment program for seriously mentally ill adults was dramatically affected by a natural disaster in September 1989. Hurricane Hugo rendered the offices of the Assertive Community Treatment Program uninhabitable, its vehicles marginally driveable, and its resources virtually nonexistent. In the three months following the storm, however, not a single psychiatric rehospitalization took place. Although the authors cannot claim that the program model was solely responsible for this outcome, this paper illustrates the service system elements that contributed to the program's effectiveness in the wake of one of the nation's most severe natural disasters.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Non-contact determination of vital sign alterations in hypovolaemic states induced by massive haemorrhage: an experimental attempt to monitor the condition of injured persons behind barriers or under disaster rubble.

To assess a non-contact method to determine the physical alteration of human subjects confined behind a barrier or under disaster rubble, an experimental, non-contact monitoring system was tested on rabbits in a hypovolaemic state. New Zealand male rabbits behind a barrier were subjected to hypovolaemic shock induced by the withdrawal of arterial blood (2ml per 100g body weight). The hypovolaemic state was determined by linear discriminant analysis using non-contact-derived variables: heart rate X1 and respiratory rate X2. Sixteen rabbits were equally divided between the hypovolaemic and control groups. To obtain the heart and respiratory rates simultaneously, the fast Fourier transform (FFT) was performed on the 1215MHz microwave radar analogue output. The linear discriminant function calculated by non-contact-derived variables was negative in the eight hypovolaemic rabbits and positive in the eight controls, so that the linear discriminant function could distinguish the hypovolaemic group from the control group. The Mahalanobis D-square (an index for classification accuracy) was 5908; the classification error rate corresponding to this value was small and negligible. The hypovolaemic rabbits developed metabolic acidosis (HCO3- 18.6+/-11.1 mmol l(-1) and pH 7.15+/-0.18 in arterial blood). The systolic blood pressure of the hypovolaemic group and the control was 56+/-4 and 83+/-6 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.01). The proposed method appears promising for applications to monitor the condition of human subjects behind barriers or under disaster rubble.

Acidosis↗
PubMed2005

Disaster management for Nandira watershed district Angul (Orissa) India, using temporal Remote Sensing data and GIS.

NALCO--the largest exporter of aluminium in India has a power plant of 720 MW capacity in Nandira watershed in Angul district of Orissa. The power plant utilises local coal to generate thermal power and disposes of large amount of ash which accumulates in slurry form at nearby two ash ponds. These ash ponds were breached on 31 December 2000, causing ash accumulation for entire regime of the Nandira river. An attempt has been made towards preparation of recovery and rehabilitation plan for NALCO using temporal Remote Sensing data and GIS. Indian remote sensing satellite data for pre-breach condition 12 December 2000, during breach event 31 December 2000 and post-breach condition 4 and 6 January 2001 has been digitally analysed for Nandira watershed. The satellite data of coarse spatial resolution provides the absence and presence of fresh sediment deposition along Nandira watershed and Brahmani river pertaining to pre-breach and post-breach conditions respectively on regional scales. The temporal comparison of fine resolution has clearly highlighted the aerial extent of damage caused by the disaster for entire watershed on local scales. The GIS has helped in demarcation of freshly accumulated ash at interval of 500 m along the river length as well as in delineation of maximum ash accumulation across the river width. The study has clearly demonstrated the use of temporal Remote Sensing data in conjunction with GIS for disaster management in terms of recovery and rehabilitation plan preparation of the Nandira watershed.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed1994

Correlates of post-traumatic stress at 30 months: the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.

Although exposure to a traumatic event is thought to be the main aetiological factor in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, there remain large unexplained individual differences in the severity and chronicity of symptoms. The aim of the present study was to assess the relative contribution of a number of social and psychological factors which are thought to determine symptoms. Crisis support and life-events subsequent to the disaster are the two best predictors of general psychological well-being, whereas a sense of helplessness during the disaster and bereavement are the two best predictors of intrusive symptomatology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Diagnostic radiology in disaster medicine: implications for design, planning and organization of X-ray departments.

Diagnostic radiology plays an important role in the evaluation of disaster casualties; these are referred to X-ray departments, shortly after their arrival at hospital, in large numbers, frequently overwhelming facilities and resources of the department. The study of relevant literature and the experience of the authors suggest that there are implications for design, planning and organization of X-ray departments to be considered in disaster-prone areas. Departments should be sited as near as possible to triage areas, on the same floor, with broad, unobstructed passages. There should be provision for easy passage of equipment and trolleys through doors and corridors and large circulation areas, working rooms and waiting spaces with plugs, for electricity, piped oxygen and suction and devices for hanging infusion sets. Two entrances to the department would enable one-way flow through the department. All work should be done in the department and examinations performed with mobile units avoided. A radiologist at the entrance to the department and a control post at the exit ensure adequate processing of casualties. Interpretation and reporting should be done by assigned radiologists dictating directly to typists; films and reports should accompany casualties.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed1990

Are we ready for the next disaster?

The time, location and number of injuries sustained in major disasters are unpredictable. The medical response is usually swift and appropriate, but manpower and resources may be quickly stretched to their limits. The hypothesis is advanced that optimal medical management of the victims of major disasters requires the development of a trauma system in the UK, and greater emphasis on education and research in trauma and critical care.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed1991

Long-term effects of chemical disasters. Lessons and results from Seveso.

Fourteen years after its occurrence (10 July 1976) the Seveso accident is still considered the prototype for chemical disasters. Thousands of persons were potentially exposed to dioxin after an uncontrolled development during the manufacture of trichlorophenol in a chemical plant. The most evident adverse health effect ascertained was chloracne (193 cases). Other reversible early effects noted were peripheral neuropathy and liver enzyme induction. The ascertainment of other, possibly severe sequelae of dioxin exposure (e.g., birth defects) was hampered by inadequate information; however, generally, no increased risks were evident. Mortality studies shed some light on the long-term effects. An unusual cardiovascular mortality pattern was reported in the exposed population. Cancer mortality findings after 10 years do not allow firm conclusions to be drawn, but are suggestive of a departure from expectations for certain types of cancer; the ongoing cancer incidence study will further explore these hypotheses. A variety of lessons were learned after this accident, and some have been incorporated into international regulations regarding industrial activities and environmental safety. This paper focuses on lessons relevant to the design and conduct of health studies in the aftermath of chemical disasters, with special emphasis given to identification of the study population, ascertainment of individual exposure, and attainment of information.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1993

Chemical disasters.

Chemical disasters are sufficiently common that plans are needed to prevent them, or to mitigate their effects should they occur. However, they are sufficiently rare that any individual is likely to have little or no experience of them. This article reviews chemical disasters which have been reported in the medical literature, and briefly discusses plans for medical involvement in the prevention and tackling of such events.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1988

The Bhopal disaster and the right to know.

The chemical disaster in Bhopal jolted activist groups around the world into renewing their demands for right-to-know legislation granting them broader access to information about hazardous technologies. This article explores the obstacles to creating effective right-to-know policies when technology is transferred across national boundaries. The events leading to the Bhopal accident are first examined in order to assess how far the tragedy can be attributed to gaps in knowledge or to breakdowns in communication. Using Bhopal as a case study, the article then considers three issues that are central to the design of right-to-know policies: who has a right to receive information about hazards; who has the duty to disclose such information, and, where necessary, to produce missing information; what information should be available for disclosure? This inquiry suggests that the circles of those with a right to know and those with a duty to disclose should both be larger than under existing right-to-know laws. More systematic risk information should also be generated, including probabilistic estimates of risk and environmental impact analyses. Finally, the article asks whether such improvements in knowledge and communication would prevent disasters of the kind that occurred in Bhopal. It concludes that for knowledge to be meaningful it must be correlated with the power to act preventively. This implies, in turn, that those with a right to know have to be given an opportunity to participate in technology transfer decisions before it is too late to choose a technology that is well adapted to the technical and cultural circumstances of the importing country.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A new system for computer aided dental identification in mass disasters.

In recent years, several computer programs for dental identification in mass disasters have been developed. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to get access to such programs. The Norwegian police presently utilizes a text retrieval program, NOVA*STATUS, for detection work. This program is based on the British STATUS ONE program, and it enables the user to find from a large pool of postmortem dental registration one or several sets containing specific information about one tooth or several teeth. The complete relevant set(s) can be displayed for visual examination and comparison. A coding system for dental information has been developed as well as a system for interrogating the computer. This system and its efficiency have been tested on a simulated small scale disaster where various well-known difficulties in dental identification were included.

Computers↗
PubMed2004

Hispanic ethnicity and post-traumatic stress disorder after a disaster: evidence from a general population survey after September 11, 2001.

PURPOSE: To assess ethnic differences in the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a disaster, and to assess the factors that may explain these differences. METHODS: We used data from a representative survey of the New York City metropolitan area (n=2,616) conducted 6 months after September 11, 2001. Linear models were fit to assess differences in the prevalence of PTSD between different groups of Hispanics and non-Hispanics and to evaluate potential explanatory variables. RESULTS: Hispanics of Dominican or Puerto Rican origin (14.3% and 13.2%, respectively) were more likely than other Hispanics (6.1%) and non-Hispanics (5.2%) to report symptoms consistent with probable PTSD after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Dominicans and Puerto Ricans were more likely than persons of other races/ethnicities to have lower incomes, be younger, have lower social support, have had greater exposure to the September 11 attacks, and to have experienced a peri-event panic attack upon hearing of the September 11 attacks; these variables accounted for 60% to 74% of the observed higher prevalence of probable PTSD in these groups. CONCLUSION: Socio-economic position, event exposures, social support, and peri-event emotional reactions may help explain differences in PTSD risk after disaster between Hispanic subgroups and non-Hispanics.

Adult↗