Critical Energy Infrastructure and Health: How Loss of Power May Kill

Targeting critical energy infrastructure has been an escalating aspect of Russian strategy in the war in Ukraine, seriously affecting the civilian population by restricting access to heat, water, and health care. 4 However, the damage to electrical grids can also be caused by naturally occurring geo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Prehospital and disaster medicine 2023-04, Vol.38 (2), p.279-280
Main Authors: Granholm, Fredrik, Tin, Derrick, Ciottone, Gregory R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental deaths
Blackouts
Contingency planning
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Disaster Planning
Disease
Electric power
Electric power generation
Electricity
Emergency medical care
Food contamination & poisoning
Health care
Health facilities
Health hazards
Hospitals
Humans
Infrastructure
Magnetic fields
Medical equipment
Mortality
Patients
Power plants
Public health
Quantitative research
Terrorism
Trauma
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Summary:Targeting critical energy infrastructure has been an escalating aspect of Russian strategy in the war in Ukraine, seriously affecting the civilian population by restricting access to heat, water, and health care. 4 However, the damage to electrical grids can also be caused by naturally occurring geomagnetic disturbances, where naturally occurring solar storms disrupt the Earth’s magnetic field, which in turn, can induce electrical disruptions over a large geographic area. While quantitative research is sparse on the effects of power outages on public health and health care facilities, there is expert consensus that power loss can lead to both direct and indirect deaths. 5 In addition, loss of electricity contingency plans are in place for most hospitals, often in the form of on-site generators and power plants, however, these are temporary solutions and don’t take into account community-based health hazards. [...]patients may be dependent on electrically powered equipment in their homes, such as ventilators, left ventricular assist devices, and medication nebulizers. 8 The health care system’s response to accidents and illnesses in a community with a complete power outage is seriously affected by critical infrastructure dependency on electricity.
ISSN:1049-023X
1945-1938
DOI:10.1017/S1049023X23000274