Rapid determination of seismic influence field based on mobile communication big data-A case study of the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

Smartphone location data provide the most direct field disaster distribution data with low cost and high coverage. The large-scale continuous sampling of mobile device location data provides a new way to estimate the distribution of disasters with high temporal-spatial resolution. On September 5, 2022, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Luding County, Sichuan Province, China. We quantitatively analyzed the Ms 6.8 earthquake from both temporal and geographic dimensions by combining 1,806,100 smartphone location records and 4,856 spatial grid locations collected through communication big data with the smartphone data under 24-hour continuous positioning. In this study, the deviation of multidimensional mobile terminal location data is estimated, and a methodology to estimate the distribution of out-of-service communication base stations in the disaster area by excluding micro error data users is explored. Finally, the mathematical relationship between the seismic intensity and the corresponding out-of-service rate of communication base stations is established, which provides a new technical concept and means for the rapid assessment of post-earthquake disaster distribution.

Dreaming of a Bright Future: Statistics, Disaster, and the Birth of Energopolitics in 1930s Chile.

In 1939, directly after the worst earthquake in the country's history, the Chilean state began implementing an electrification program. This plan shaped energy goals for years to come and defined the interconnected grid that dominates the country's energy infrastructure today. Based on extensive archival work, this article describes the birth of energopolitics in the country, using technology sociologist Michel Callon's notion of "interessement" to describe the strategies of a group of engineers who acted as system builders. Their four main strategies were embracing technological futurisms, forging heterogeneous networks, articulating and mobilizing knowledge, and using crises as windows of opportunity for change. The article shows not only the historical impact of past energy choices on today's world but also that current challenges to energy transitions are not without precedent. Using a sociological framework to tell this story allows us to highlight the mechanisms through which energy systems can change.

Cognitive maturity of Portuguese nursing students to intervene in disasters: initial training contribution.

OBJECTIVE: To understand whether, from the perspective of coordinators/directors of nursing courses and nurses with skills in the field of disasters, nursing students have the necessary cognitive maturity to articulate the various dimensions inherent to the area of disasters, allowing efficient performance. METHOD: A study with a qualitative methodological approach, based on inductive reasoning and rigorous phenomenon description, based on exploratory research. RESULTS: Given the specificity and complexity of these phenomena, the inclusion of the disaster domain in the teaching-learning process, supporting valid knowledge construction and allowing the development and maturity of nursing students' cognitive processes, is crucial. CONCLUSION: Currently, reduced technical-scientific training in the field of disasters in Portugal constitutes a barrier in the development of nursing students' cognitive maturity, impeding their ability to respond when faced with phenomena of this complexity.

Placing engineering in the earthquake response and the survival chain.

Earthquakes injure millions and simultaneously disrupt the infrastructure to protect them. This perspective argues that the current post-disaster investigation paradigm is insufficient to protect communities' health effectively. We propose the Earthquake Survival Chain as a framework to change the current engineering focus on infrastructure to health. This framework highlights four converging research opportunities to advance understanding of earthquake injuries, search and rescue, patient mobilizations, and medical treatment. We offer an interdisciplinary research agenda in engineering and health sciences, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality, to protect health and life from earthquakes.

Evaluation of system based psychological first aid training on the mental health proficiency of emergency medical first responders to natural disasters in China: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a system based psychological first aid (PFA) training programme for emergency medical first responders in China. DESIGN: Parallel-group, assessor-blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: 42 clusters of health workers from various health facilities in China. PARTICIPANTS: 1399 health workers who provide emergency service for survivors of disasters. INTERVENTIONS: One-day system based PFA training programme (PFA) or training as usual (TAU). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the PFA skills, knowledge and attitude (SKA-PFA) score at 2 months postintervention. Secondary outcomes included post-traumatic growth, self-efficacy and professional quality of life. RESULTS: The intervention group (n=690) had significantly higher SKA-PFA scores than the control group (n=709) at 2 months postintervention (adjusted mean difference=4.44; 95% CI 1.17 to 7.52; p=0.007; Cohen's d=0.35). The intervention group also had higher scores on post-traumatic growth (p=0.113, d=0.24), self-efficacy (p=0.032, d=0.20) and professional quality of life (p=0.281, d=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The system based PFA training programme was more effective than the TAU in enhancing the PFA knowledge and skills of the emergency medical first responders and in increasing their competence to provide emergency service for survivors in China. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200060464.

Disaster healthcare disparities solutions: Part 2-Response.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential solutions for disaster healthcare disparities. This paper is the second of a three-part series that was written by the Disaster Healthcare Disparities Workgroup of the American College of Emergency Physicians Disaster Preparedness and Response Committee. The committee conducted a literature review and chose articles most representative and demonstrative of solutions to disaster healthcare disparities found in a past workgroup product. Many solutions for disaster healthcare disparities during disaster response were found. Some of these solutions have been successfully implemented and some are hypothetical. Solutions for disaster healthcare disparities seen during response are achievable but there is still much work to do. A variety of the proposed solutions can be advocated for by nondisaster specialists leading to better care for all our patients.

Sociopolitical Factors and Mental Health Following the Turkey-Syria Earthquake.

This survey study evaluates the association between sociopolitical factors and mental health following the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake.

Protecting Caribbean patients diagnosed with cancer from compounding disasters.

Caribbean small island developing states are becoming increasingly vulnerable to compounding disasters, prominently featuring climate-related hazards and pandemic diseases, which exacerbate existing barriers to cancer control in the region. We describe the complexities of cancer prevention and control efforts throughout the Caribbean small island developing states, including the unique challenges of people diagnosed with cancer in the region. We highlight potential solutions and strategies that concurrently address disaster adaptation and cancer control. Because Caribbean small island developing states are affected first and worst by the hazards of compounding disasters, the innovative solutions developed in the region are relevant for climate mitigation, disaster adaptation, and cancer control efforts globally. In the age of complex and cascading disaster scenarios, developing strategies to mitigate their effect on the cancer control continuum, and protecting the health and safety of people diagnosed with cancer from extreme events become increasingly urgent. The equitable development of such strategies relies on collaborative efforts among professionals whose diverse expertise from complementary fields infuses the local community perspective while focusing on implementing solutions.

Disaster healthcare disparities solutions: Part 3-Recovery and mitigation.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential solutions for disaster healthcare disparities. This paper is the third of a three-part series that was written by the Disaster Healthcare Disparities Workgroup of the American College of Emergency Physicians Disaster Preparedness and Response Committee. The committee conducted a literature review and chose articles most representative and demonstrative of solutions to disaster healthcare disparities found in a past workgroup product. Many solutions for disaster healthcare disparities seen during recovery and mitigation were found. Some of these solutions have been successfully implemented and some remain theoretical. Solutions for disaster healthcare disparities seen during recovery and mitigation are achievable but there is still much work to do. Many of these solutions can be advocated for by nondisaster specialists.

Pediatric Pandemics and Disasters - A Summary.

Children make up approximately 25% of the population in the United States and are particularly vulnerable to the impact of disasters. The creation of federally-funded programs and advisory committees has had a positive impact on addressing the needs of children and families in disasters by identifying best practices, disseminating information, identifying gaps, and providing information with future investments that will contribute to expanding disaster science for children and their families.

The role of orthodontics in children identification: a case report of two victims of mass disaster.

INTRODUCTION: Human Identification based on dental evidence cannot be accomplished if antemortem dental records are unavailable or of poor quality. The involvement of the orthodontist in mass disaster victim identification processes may be crucial in relation to the amount and quality of the records which can be obtained before, during, and following the treatment. AIM: The aim of the study is the description of the contribution of the findings drawn from orthodontic records to the identification of victims of mass disasters who had received an orthodontic treatment, through the presentation of two cases. The first case involves the identification of a child victim of a plane crash and the second case involves the identification of two identical twin girls who died in a fire. In both cases, the identification was based on the findings obtained from the ante-mortem records provided by the orthodontist. CONCLUSIONS: The orthodontists apply customized orthodontic appliances and keep a comprehensive file of images, casts, radiographs, and other records in their practice. As a result, they can make a substantial contribution to the identification of young people or even adult victims of mass disasters in any case in which the authorities make a request.

Prevention, social emancipation, and paradigmatic transition: a 40-year interdisciplinary Brazilian trajectory on accidents and disasters. / Prevenção, emancipação social e transição paradigmática: uma trajetória interdisciplinar de 40 anos no Brasil sobre acidentes e desastres.

The article, in the form of an essay, systematizes a 40-year-long professional trajectory of interdisciplinary and socially engaged experiences around the analysis and prevention of accidents and disasters. This study was mainly developed within the scope of research and postgraduate studies in Public Health in Brazil, driven by the sanitarian movement and the construction of Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) in its search for democracy and social and health justices. Its empirical basis involved workers' health and environmental surveillance actions organized in networks led by SUS in conjunction with universities, unions, social movements, environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and Public Prosecutors' Offices. Events of greater socio-environmental complexity in sectors such as steel, petrochemicals, mining, agribusiness, and energy forged the search for new epistemic and interdisciplinary references that encompassed two new justices, i.e., environmental and cognitive. This essay systematizes this trajectory of conceptual contributions in three movements from the 1980s to the present day (each corresponding to a socio-political and institutional context) to reflect on paradigmatic transition movements in the analysis and prevention of accidents and disasters from an interdisciplinary perspective. It ends by suggesting abyssal and emancipatory prevention to face different current crises, including environmental, health, democratic, and civilizing ones.

O artigo, na forma de ensaio, sistematiza uma trajetória profissional de experiências interdisciplinares e socialmente engajadas em torno da análise e prevenção de acidentes e desastres nos últimos 40 anos. O trabalho acadêmico se desenvolveu principalmente no âmbito da pesquisa e pós-graduação na saúde pública brasileira impulsionado pelo movimento sanitarista e a construção do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) em sua busca por democracia, justiça social e sanitária. A base empírica envolveu ações de vigilância em saúde dos trabalhadores e ambiental organizadas em redes protagonizadas pelo SUS em conjunto com universidades, sindicatos, movimentos sociais, organizações não governamentais (ONG) ambientalistas e Ministérios Públicos. Eventos de maior complexidade socioambiental em setores como siderurgia, petroquímico, mineração, agronegócio e energia forjaram a busca por novos referenciais epistêmicos e interdisciplinares que abarcam duas novas justiças: a ambiental e a cognitiva. Este artigo apresenta essa trajetória de contribuições conceituais em três movimentos a partir da década de 1980 até os dias atuais, cada qual correspondendo a um contexto sociopolítico e institucional, para pensar movimentos de transição paradigmática na análise e prevenção de acidentes e desastres numa perspectiva interdisciplinar. Finaliza-se com a sugestão de prevenção abissal e emancipatória para enfrentar diferentes crises da atualidade, como a ambiental, a sanitária, a democrática e a civilizatória.

El artículo, en forma de ensayo, sistematiza una trayectoria profesional de experiencias interdisciplinarias y socialmente comprometidas en torno al análisis y la prevención de accidentes y desastres en los últimos 40 años. El trabajo académico se desarrolló principalmente en el ámbito de la investigación y postgrado en Salud Colectiva brasileña, impulsado por el movimiento sanitario y la construcción del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS) en su búsqueda por democracia, justicia social y sanitaria. La base empírica involucró acciones de vigilancia en salud y ambiental de los trabajadores, organizadas en redes protagonizadas por el SUS en conjunto con universidades, sindicatos, movimientos sociales, organizaciones no gubernamentales ambientalistas y Ministerios Públicos. Los acontecimientos de mayor complejidad socioambiental en sectores como la siderurgia, el petroquímico, la minería, el agronegocio y la energía han llevado a la búsqueda de nuevas referencias epistémicas e interdisciplinarias que abarcaron dos nuevas formas de justicia, la ambiental y la cognitiva. El artículo sistematiza esa trayectoria de contribuciones conceptuales en tres movimientos a partir de la década de 1980 hasta los días actuales, cada cual, correspondiendo a un contexto sociopolítico e institucional, para pensar movimientos de transición paradigmática en el análisis y prevención de accidentes y desastres desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria. Se finaliza con la sugerencia de prevención abisal y una prevención emancipadora para enfrentar diferentes crisis de la actualidad, como la ambiental, la sanitaria, la democrática y la de civilización.

EVAC-H. Evacuación de hospitales y sus áreas críticas

La evacuación de un hospital debe ser el último recurso para hacer frente a los efectos de una amenaza, pero si la evaluación de riesgo así lo determina, se llevará a cabo de forma preventiva. La evacuación de un hospital siempre representa un riesgo para la vida de los pacientes, sobre todo para aquellos que están en condiciones graves de salud. Por lo tanto, cada hospital debe desarrollar sus capacidades para ejecutar una evacuación, y que esta sea parte del “Plan hospitalario de respuesta a emergencias de salud y desastres.La evacuación y el traslado de los pacientes debe ser resultado de una planificación que incluya la capacitación del personal y que cuente con los equipos e insumos necesarios, que mantenga las rutas de evacuación completamente accesibles y que establezca los acuerdos o ajustes pertinentes con los sistemas de seguridad, traslado prehospitalario y otras instalaciones de la red de servicios de salud, que permitan una respuesta eficiente. El objetivo de esta herramienta es facilitar la elaboración o actualización del procedimiento de evacuación* como parte de la gestión de emergencias y desastres de un hospital (ítem 147 de la 2.a edición del Índice de seguridad hospitalaria [ISH] de la Organización Mundial de la Salud [OMS] y la Organización Panamericana de la Salud [OPS]). El documento está dirigido al personal directivo, planificadores y coordinadores de los hospitales que participan en la preparación para la respuesta y recuperación ante emergencias de salud y desastres.

After an Earthquake: The Comparison of Psychological Status of Resident and Earthquake Survivor Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Natural disasters such as earthquakes can have a significant impact on cancer treatment and care. The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychological effect of the earthquake on survivor cancer patients compared to regular cancer patients. METHODS: Cancer patients who were evacuated from earthquake sites and referred for the continuation of their treatment, as well as regular resident patients were included in the study. The resident cancer patients were compared with the study population as a control group. DASS-21 forms were filled based on patients' declarations. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were earthquake survivors and 55 were resident cancer patients. Stress scores were significantly higher in earthquake survivors (P = 0.021). In contrast, there was no difference in stratified groups due to DASS-21 categorization in stress scores while depression and anxiety subgroups had significant differences (P = 0.012; P < 0.001). Also, women significantly had a worse outcome in the depression and anxiety categories (P = 0.028; P = 0.021) while no difference was observed in men. CONCLUSION: Recent earthquakes in Turkey had psychological negative effects on oncology patients. The increased stress, depression, and anxiety levels were observed in earthquake survivors who were evacuated from the disaster zone and compared to the control group.

Evaluation of Incoming Messages to WhatsApp Communication Network Created by Volunteers in Major Disasters: The Case of Turkey Earthquake.

OBJECTIVE: This research was conducted in order to assess the 1-week aid needs determined by the health professional who voluntarily served in the WhatsApp communication network during the earthquakes in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. METHODS: This descriptive retrospective epidemiological study focuses on the 1-week messaging activities of the WhatsApp group created by volunteers after the earthquake in Turkey. During the 7-day period included in the research, a total of 5813 messages were sent. 3472 of these messages were not included in the research for various reasons, and a total of 2341 messages were used for the research. RESULTS: In all 7 days, it was seen that most of the messages were sent via text message and that voice messages were very few. When the distribution of the needs demanded by the earthquake victims for 7 days was examined, it was seen that there was a significant increase in the needs on the fourth day after the earthquake, and that the highest increase was the need for tents. CONCLUSION: While the demands for rescue services increased in the first 2 days, it was determined that the demands for water especially, dry food, and tents increased from the third day onwards. It is suggested that a professional online infrastructure system should be created to enable the transfer of instant scene and need information that can be activated in such disasters.

Non-technical skills needed by medical disaster responders- a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: There is no universal agreement on what competence in disaster medicine is, nor what competences and personal attributes add value for disaster responders. Some studies suggest that disaster responders need not only technical skills but also non-technical skills. Consensus of which non-technical skills are needed and how training for these can be provided is lacking, and little is known about how to apply knowledge of non-technical skills in the recruitment of disaster responders. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to identify the non-technical skills required for the disaster medicine response. METHOD: A scooping review using the Arksey & O´Malley framework was performed. Structured searches in the databases PuBMed, CINAHL Full Plus, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Scopus was conducted. Thereafter, data were structured and analyzed. RESULTS: From an initial search result of 6447 articles, 34 articles were included in the study. These covered both quantitative and qualitative studies and different contexts, including real events and training. The most often studied real event were responses following earthquakes. Four non-technical skills stood out as most frequently mentioned: communication skills; situational awareness; knowledge of human resources and organization and coordination skills; decision-making, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. The review also showed a significant lack of uniform use of terms like skills or competence in the reviewed articles. CONCLUSION: Non-technical skills are skills that disaster responders need. Which non-technical skills are most needed, how to train and measure non-technical skills, and how to implement non-technical skills in disaster medicine need further studies.

Climate crisis risks to elderly health: strategies for effective promotion and response.

The climate crisis significantly impacts the health and well-being of older adults, both directly and indirectly. This issue is of growing concern in Canada due to the country's rapidly accelerating warming trend and expanding elderly population. This article serves a threefold purpose: (i) outlining the impacts of the climate crisis on older adults, (ii) providing a descriptive review of existing policies with a specific focus on the Canadian context, and (iii) promoting actionable recommendations. Our review reveals the application of current strategies, including early warning systems, enhanced infrastructure, sustainable urban planning, healthcare access, social support systems, and community engagement, in enhancing resilience and reducing health consequences among older adults. Within the Canadian context, we then emphasize the importance of establishing robust risk metrics and evaluation methods to prepare for and manage the impacts of the climate crisis efficiently. We underscore the value of vulnerability mapping, utilizing geographic information to identify regions where older adults are most at risk. This allows for targeted interventions and resource allocation. We recommend employing a root cause analysis approach to tailor risk response strategies, along with a focus on promoting awareness, readiness, physician training, and fostering collaboration and benchmarking. These suggestions aim to enhance disaster risk management for the well-being and resilience of older adults in the face of the climate crisis.