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Disaster Management and Preparedness

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Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care

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Abstract

The management of the medical effects of contemporary disasters, whether natural or man-made, is one of the most significant challenges facing medical providers today. Disaster medical care is NOT the same as conventional medical care. Disaster medical care requires a fundamental change (crisis management care) in the care of disaster victims.

The demands of disaster medical relief have changed over the past decade in the scope of medical care, the spectrum of threats, and the field of operations. Increasingly, civilian surgical teams, including critical care providers, are being asked to respond to complex disasters, with the spectrum of threats ranging from natural disasters to complex man-made disasters such as war and terrorism. Many contemporary disasters occur in “austere” environments. An austere environment is a setting where access, transport, resources, or other aspects of the physical, social, or economic environments impose severe constraints on the adequacy of immediate care for the population in need.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, International Trauma and Disaster Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Susan Miller Briggs MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Susan Miller Briggs MD, MPH
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Correspondence to Susan Miller Briggs MD, MPH .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Niels D. Martin

  2. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lewis J. Kaplan

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Briggs, S.M. (2016). Disaster Management and Preparedness. In: Martin, N.D., Kaplan, L.J. (eds) Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_43

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33339-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33341-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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