Introduction: While balanced blood component therapy (BCT) is pivotal in trauma patient damage control resuscitation in well-resourced settings, disasters, and mass casualty incidents (MCIs) pose significant challenges, especially in securing sufficient access to blood products. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to explore the utilization of fresh whole blood (FWB) transfusion as a potential alternative to BCT, informing future research and clinical strategies.
Methods: We searched Pubmed, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and grey literature for articles identifying FWB transfusions, limited to those published in English or French.
Introduction: The Sexual Violence Relief center (SVS) is a specialist service, situated in Sant'Anna Hospital, an Obstetrics and Gynecology facility in Turin, North-West Italy. The study aimed to qualitatively analyze the transcripts of interviews routinely conducted by gynecologist and midwife in the first part of the medical examination of migrant patients accessing care at SVS after being subjected to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in their home country or during migration and to explore the adverse outcomes of such violence on their health.
Methods: Interview transcripts were purposely selected to include adult migrant patients (age > 18) subjected to CRSV in the different phases of migration and accessing SVS from January 1st, 2014, to September 4th, 2023.
Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a form of gender-based violence and a violation of human rights. Forensic medical examination of victims of CRSV can be performed for the clinical and forensic management of patients or as part of the medical affidavit in judicial protection procedures. The aim of this scoping review was to summarize the knowledge on the forensic medical examination of survivors of CRSV by analyzing what types of violence were described by survivors, as well as the outcome of medical examination and evaluation of the degree of consistency, and of protection procedures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In the past decade, humanitarian emergencies have been increasing, leading to an higher demand for humanitarian health professionalization. Education and training are critical for preparing these workers to provide effective care during crises. Understanding the current state-of-the-art in humanitarian health education is essential to inform research and development of future educational programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a scenario-based e-simulation (SBES) to address the limited avilability of accessible and practical training for humanitarian public health responders. The objectives included SBES customisation, effectiveness evaluation, and identifying learning-enhancing design elements.
Design: A university-based, mixed-methods action research design.
Purpose: The objective of this study was to offer a comprehensive synthesis of the existing Key performance indicators (KPIs) used in the evaluation of the pre-Hospital response to disasters and mass casualty incidents (MCIs).
Methods: At the end of December 2022 a scoping review has been performed on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Medline to identify articles describing the use of KPIs to assess the performance of first responders during the prehospital phase of an MCI (real or simulated). Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, fourteen articles were included in the analysis.
Background: Following the change of government in August 2021, the social and economic landscape of Afghanistan deteriorated into an economic and humanitarian crisis. Afghans continue to struggle to access basic healthcare services, making Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country a major challenge. The aim of this study was to perform a qualitative investigation into the main access to care challenges in Afghanistan and whether these challenges have been influenced by the recent socio-political developments, by examining the perspectives of health professionals and hospital directors working in the country.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Taliban takeover in August 2021 ended a decades-long conflict in Afghanistan. Yet, along with improved security, there have been collateral changes, such as the exacerbation of the economic crisis and brain drain. Although these changes have altered the lives of Afghans in many ways, it is unclear whether they have affected access to care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The aim of this paper is to outline the steps taken to develop an operational checklist to assess primary healthcare (PHC) all-hazards disaster preparedness. It then describes a study testing the applicability of the checklist.
Background: A PHC approach is an essential foundation for health emergency and disaster risk management (H-EDRM) because it can prevent and mitigate risks prior to disasters and support an effective response and recovery, thereby contributing to communities' and countries' resilience across the continuum of the disaster cycle.
Background: Migrants face several barriers when accessing care and tend to rely on emergency services to a greater extent than primary care. Comparing emergency department (ED) utilization by migrants and non-migrants can unveil inequalities affecting the migrant population and pave the way for public health strategies aimed at improving health outcomes. This systematic review aims to investigate differences in ED utilization between migrant and non-migrant populations to ultimately advance research on migrants' access to care and inform health policies addressing health inequalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisasters cause changes in morbidity, mortality, and medicine use. Brazil is one of the main producers of mineral ores at great environmental cost. Mine tailings are stored in dams and ruptures have led to major disasters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisaster Med Public Health Prep
February 2024
As heatwaves increase and intensify worldwide, so has the research aimed at outlining strategies to protect individuals from their impact. Interventions that promote adaptive measures to heatwaves are encouraged, but evidence on how to develop such interventions is still scarce. Although the Health Belief Model is one of the leading frameworks guiding behavioral change interventions, the evidence of its use in heatwave research is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Armed conflicts have a severe impact on the health of women and children. Global health emergencies such as pandemics and disease outbreaks further exacerbate the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in accessing maternal, neonatal, and child healthcare (MNCH). There is a lack of evidence that summarizes the challenges faced by conflict-affected pregnant women, mothers, and children in accessing MNCH services during global health emergencies, mainly the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Health systems resilience (HSR) research is a rapidly expanding field, in which key concepts are discussed and theoretical frameworks are emerging with vibrant debate. Fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) are contexts exposed to compounding stressors, for which resilience is an important characteristic. However, only limited evidence has been generated in such settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeatwaves pose an important risk for population health and are associated with an increased demand for emergency care. To find factors causing such overload, an online Delphi study included 15 experts in emergency medicine, disaster medicine, or public health. One open-ended question was delivered in the first round.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisasters or mass-casualty incidents are uncommon events. The use of simulation is an ideal training modality in full-scale exercises as it immerses the participants in a replication of the actual environment where they can respond to simulated casualties in accordance with existing protocols.The objective of this scoping review is to answer the research question: "How effective is simulation, as assessed in full-scale exercises, for response to disasters and mass-casualty incidents world-wide?" Studies on full-scale exercises, as defined in World Health Organization (WHO) simulation exercise toolbox, that were published in peer-reviewed journals using the English language from 2001 through 2021 were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Effective response to a mass-casualty incident (MCI) entails the activation of hospital MCI plans. Unfortunately, there are no tools available in the literature to support hospital responders in predicting the proper level of MCI plan activation. This manuscript describes the scientific-based approach used to develop, test, and validate the PEMAAF score (Proximity, Event, Multitude, Overcrowding, Temporary Ward Reduction Capacity, Time Shift Slot [Prossimità, Evento, Moltitudine, Affollamento, Accorpamento, Fascia Oraria], a tool able to predict the required level of hospital MCI plan activation and to facilitate a coordinated activation of a multi-hospital network.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectronic simulation (e-simulation)-particularly scenario-based e-simulation (SBES)-is an increasingly used, promising educational strategy for global health education that can address gaps in training access, effectiveness, and cost. However, there is little guidance for educators on how to develop an SBES, and guidance is lacking outside the clinical context. Moreover, literature on medical education rarely uses the theoretical basis for e-simulation design and development, including for SBES.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Conflicts exacerbate dynamics of power and inequalities through violence normalization, which acts as a facilitator for conflict-related sexual violence. Literature addressing its negative outcomes on survivors is scant. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the qualitative evidence reported in scientific literature and focusing on the negative consequences of conflict-related sexual violence on victims' physical, psychological, and social dimensions of health in a gender-inclusive and disaggregated form.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There has been a significant increase in the use of e-learning for global and public health education recently, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. e-Learning holds the potential to offer equal opportunities, overcoming barriers like physical limitations and training costs. However, its effectiveness remains debated, with institutions unprepared for the sudden shift during the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn May 2023, the Italian region Emilia-Romagna was hit by intense rainfall, which caused extensive floods in densely populated areas. On May 4, 2023, a 12-month state of emergency was declared in the region with the activation of response and recovery plans. This field report provides an overview of the health response to the floods, paying particular attention to the measures put in place to ensure care for displaced populations and raising interesting points of discussion regarding the role of the health system during extreme weather events (EWEs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe application and provision of prehospital care in disasters and mass-casualty incident response in Europe is currently being explored for opportunities to improve practice. The objective of this translational science study was to align common principles of approach and action and to identify how technology can assist and enhance response. To achieve this objective, the application of a modified Delphi methodology study based on statements derived from key findings of a scoping review was undertaken.
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