Decontamination, disinfection, and the use of liquid hand cleaners - all are among the most important "weapons" in the first-responder community's fight against a potential flu pandemic. And it's a battle to the death. Literally.
U.S. healthcare officials, working in close cooperation with long-range planners & political decision makers, are already pondering what the nation's future hospital infrastructure should look like. Here are some ideas to consider.
Flexibility, versatility, and a quantum upgrade in overall capabilities are the biggest selling points of ESi's newest WebEOC system, unveiled last month at the company's fourth annual User Conference in Boston.
Most U.S. hospitals & other healthcare facilities focus their efforts on saving lives & helping those who are seriously injured. The handling of the dead, sometimes a large number at the same time, is a different but almost equally important skill.
The best way to cope with an avian-flu pandemic is to pre-designate certain hospitals as "flu-only" facilities - right? No - absolutely wrong! For a variety of practical, economic, and medical reasons. Here are some of them.
Attention to detail is frequently the principal difference between the success, or failure, of any human endeavor. That is particularly true in times of sudden disaster, when "mere words" - precisely expressed - may have life-or-death implications.
The healthcare failures during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina received more publicity than the many unpublicized successes. Nonetheless, a new look at hospital emergency management was obviously needed, and is now well underway.
The Commonwealth of Virginia once again provides a best-practices example of the best way to plan for a potential mass-casualty disaster: Ensure that all stakeholders, private-sector as well as government, are fully involved ahead of time, and practice.
Not enough masks and/or medical supplies - those shortages can be overcome. But when there are not enough EMTs or paramedics, or if those who are available are among the early victims, there is no quick and easy way to find replacements.
Prior to 11 September 2001 the term "emergency management" was more an abstract theory than an operational mandate. Today it is a full fledged profession, particularly in hospitals & other medical facilities, so must be factored into all major planning.
