What Do Emergency Department Patients and Their Guests Expect From Their Health Care Provider in an Active Shooter Event?

Background: "Run-Hide-Fight" is the summative life-saving mantra taught by governmental and private agencies in active shooter training. Initial research focused on patient expectations of health care provider responses in life-threatening situations suggests patients believe health care providers will take significant action to protect patient well-being. The potential disparity between expectations of the public and health care practitioner training must be examined, as conflict, confusion, and delays may have mortal consequences in active shooter situations.

Killer amoebas: Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in a changing climate.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri is a rare and deadly disease that requires prompt treatment with multiple therapies. Although N. fowleri previously was only found in warmer areas, climate change appears to be contributing to its geographic spread.

Improving the improvisational pelvic circumferential compression technique for open-book pelvic fractures using a simulation model and a sphygmomanometer.

Background: Open-book pelvic fractures are associated with significant mortality. Emergency management may require a commercial pelvic circumferential compression device to reduce the fracture and compress haemorrhaging pelvic vasculature. Standard, commercial, twin-sized bedsheets are acceptable should commercial devices be unavailable.

START versus SALT Triage: Which is Preferred by the 21st Century Health Care Student?

Unlabelled: IntroductionWhile the art and science of disaster triage continue to evolve, the education of the US health care student in matters pertaining to disaster preparedness and response remains stifled. Unfortunately, these students will be assuming major decision-making responsibilities regarding catastrophes that will be complicated by climate change, nuclear threats, global terrorism, and pandemics. Meanwhile, Sort, Assess, Life-Saving Interventions, Treatment, and/or Transport (SALT) triage is being advocated over the globally popular Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) algorithm for multiple reasons: (1) it's an all-hazard approach; (2) it has four medical interventions; and (3) it has an additional triage color for victims with non-survivable injuries.

Immersive simulation education: a novel approach to pandemic preparedness and response.

Pandemic management involves strategic and tactical concepts rarely experienced with other disasters. To comprehend the enormity of these tasks and experience the critical decision-making required, local public health and other stakeholders participate in tabletop and functional exercises. Students in Master of Public Health (MPH) programs not only rarely experience this educational format, but also are seldom afforded substantive time to appreciate the critical decision making that is unique to pandemics.

The delivery of a health promotion intervention by a public health promotion specialist improves patient satisfaction in the emergency department.

Objectives: The objective was to introduce a public health promotion specialist (PHPS) into the hospital emergency department (ED) to provide a brief health promotion intervention to patients and to determine the effect of the initiative on patient satisfaction.

Methods: Patients in the intervention group were offered and received a 5- to 10-minute presentation about exercise, heart health, healthy eating on a budget, or weight control by a trained PHPS. Patients in the control group received usual ED care.

An assessment of nurses' knowledge of botulism.

Objective: To assess nurses' knowledge of botulism, a Centers for Disease Control Category A bioterrorism agent, one case of which constitutes an emergency.

Design: The study utilized survey research.

Sample: The cluster sample included 1,414 registered nurses.

Considerations for the vertical evacuation of hospitalized patients under emergency conditions.

Hospitals and other healthcare institutions in the twenty-first century face myriad challenges to their survival against a number of threats from many sources. A number of those threats, eg, internal, external, accidental, or intentional, may require the prompt evacuation of both patients and staff Although rare, this possibility is becoming more frequent in the United States. Unfortunately, despite accrediting agencies' mandates, there is a profound paucity of strategic and tactical guidelines in the medical literature.

Single-Breath-Count Test: an important adjunct in the triaging of patients in a mass-casualty incident due to botulism.

Clostridium botulinum toxins, the most poisonous substance known to humankind, are considered to be a [US] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category A bioterrorist agent. Despite this concern, little has been published with regard to the tactical aspects of triaging a mass-casualty event involving botulism victims arriving at an emergency department. Because neuromuscular-ventilatory failure is a principal reason for botulism's early morbidity and mortality, using a quick and sensitive test to evaluate this possibility is imperative.