Disasters health effects

McCarthy MC, He J, Hyams KC et al (1994) Acute hepatitis E infection during the 1988 floods in Khartoum, Sudan. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 88 177 Shears P (1988) The Khartoum floods and diarrhoeal diseases. Lancet 2 517 Campanella N (1999) Infectious diseases and natural disasters the effects of Hurricane Mitch over Villanueva municipal area, Nicaragua. Public Health Rev 27 311-319... 

THE ROLE OF CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY IN MINIMIZING ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS RELATED TO CHEMICAL DISASTERS... 

Students and workers in laboratories should always remember three important words—danger, warning, and caution (or A, B, C)—while handling flammable liquids to avoid health effects and chemical disasters ... 

Epidemiology, as classically defined, is the quantitative study of the distributions and determinants of health-related events in human populations (Gordis, 2004 see chapter 15 for further discussion). Disaster epidemiology is the measurement of the adverse health effects of natural and human-generated disasters and... 

Lechat, M. F. (1990). Updates The epidemiology of health effects of disasters. Epidemiology Review, 12, 192-197. 

Noji, E.K. (1997). The nature of disaster General characteristics and public health effects. In E. K. Noji (Ed.), The public health consequences of disasters. New York Oxford University Press. 

One of the most important public health tasks in the immediate aftermath of a disaster is to conduct a rapid and comprehensive assessment of population health requirements. Responders should conduct a health assessment of the community as soon as possible within the first few days following the event (Connolly, 2005). This is a multifaceted process that consists of several key elements (1) data collection for assessment of needs, (2) identification of available resources that match to defined needs, (3) prevention of further adverse health effects associated with the event, (4) implementation of disease control strategies, (5) evaluation of the effectiveness of the application of these strategies, and (6) improvement in contingency planning for future disasters. 

This chapter provides information on the health consequences associated with commonly occurring environmentai disasters and emergencies. Nurses responding to the needs of populations and communities affected by environmental disasters and/or emergencies require an understanding of (a) the immediate health effects related to the event, (b) the potential for long-term... 

Following the explosion at the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, various public health concerns arose regarding the air quality. Researchers believe that the explosion may account for adverse health effects in the workers and residents in the environment around the WTC. As a result, researchers from Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Columbia University have monitored truck drivers exposed to the dust, fires, and air pollutants in the WTC aftermath. Phase I focused on the exposure of truck drivers from the disaster site, and Phase 11 focused on the respiratory health of the workers at the disaster site. Interviews and lung function tests were conducted to evaluate changes in lung function or symptoms (Community Update, 2002). Current research is under way addressing the aftereffects of exposure to dust in the air from the World Trade Center disaster. 

Dhara, V.R., Dhara, R. (2002). The Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal a review of health effects. Arch. Environ. Health 57 391 04. 

Around 50000 survivors are estimated to be suffering from long-term health effects that are termed as Bhopal syndrome due to a lack of information on the exact constituents of the gas cloud other than MIC. The Indian Council for Medical Research established a field office called Bhopal Gas Disaster Research Centre (BGDR) immediately after the accident. In addition, International Medical Commission on Bhopal (IMCB)... 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to analyze the thousands of samples and to try to associate the levels with health effects. Reconstruction of the disaster using the samples taken over time has helped clarify how long dioxin stays in the human body, and the different effects it has on children and adults. 

Havenaar JM, Rumyantzeva GM, van den Brink W, et al Long-term mental health effects of the Chernobyl disaster an epidemiologic survey in two former Soviet regions. Am J Psychiatry 154 1605-1607,1997... 

RehnerTA, Kolbo JR, Trump R, et al Depression among victims of south Mississippi s methyl parathion disaster. Health Soc Work 25 33-40, 2000 Rodnitzky RL, Levin HS, Morgan DP Effects of ingested parathion on neurobehavioral functions. Clin Toxicol 13 347-359,1978... 

Adeola, Francis O., Industrial Disasters, Toxic Waste, and Community Impact Health Effects and Environmental Justice Struggles Around the Globe, Lexington Books, Lanham, MD, 2012. 

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), created by the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, provides leadership in the areas of preventing, preparing, and responding to adverse health effects related to public health emergencies and disasters. ASPR focuses on preparedness planning and response, including coordinating... 

The system interacts with the private enterprise and civilian volunteers to ensure availability of resources to support medical services following a disaster that overwhelms the local health-care resources. The overall purpose of the system is to establish an integrated national medical response capability for assisting state and local authorities in dealing with the medical and health effects of major peacetime disasters. 

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