An innovative approach to training hospital-based clinicians for bioterrorist attacks.

The recent attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent dissemination event of anthrax in the United States demonstrated the necessity for hospitals to initiate bioterrorism education for clinicians. Events such as the release of sarin gas into the Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo cult provided some insight into how quickly emergency medical personnel may be overwhelmed by causalities of unconventional weapons. Educational interventions to prepare hospital-based practitioners for such disasters must fit among the demands of patient care, administrative duties, and continuing education within specialties. In addition, the priority placed on the topic, confusion about reputable resources to consult, and concerns of funding for preparedness training mandate the need for an authoritative, comprehensive, and easily accessible approach. A pilot project supported in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was developed to facilitate streamlining of preparedness efforts through the implementation of interactive screen savers as an alternative to traditional educational modalities. This report presents the successful application of this model, which was quantified with pretests and posttests given to users of the system.

Chapter 17 : Early recognition and detection of biological events

In the preceding chapter, the biological agents designated as Category A agents by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are described in detail. These agents are considered the highest priority for response planning because they pose the greatest potential threats if used in biological attacks. The focus of this chapter is on early recognition and detection of such biological events so that prevention and control efforts can be instituted quickly, thereby limiting morbidity and mortality. Attention is focused on the role nurses can play in recognizing and detecting potential outbreaks in their practice setting. Bot clinical and epidemiological approaches to recognition in their practice setting. For clinical recognition, emphasis is plced on using a syndrome approach. Laboratory methods for detection are also briefly discussed (AU)