Terrorism: can emergency medicine physicians identify terrorism syndromes?

The lack of prompt recognition a chemical or biologic terrorist act can quickly lead to disaster. [...]an accurate assessment of the ability of emergency physicians to identify terrorism syndromes, the physical signs and symptoms of chemical and biologic mass destruction agents, is crucial to nation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of emergency medicine 2007-11, Vol.25 (9), p.1019-1024
Main Authors: Lester, Joseph, MMS, MD, Christos, Steve, DO, MS, Kordick, Mary Frances, MBA, MS, PhD, RN, Chan, Shu B., MD, MS
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy
Biological & chemical terrorism
Biological & chemical weapons
Biological and medical sciences
Chemical weapons
Chi-Square Distribution
Clinical Competence
Diarrhea
Disaster Planning
Education
Emergency
Emergency and intensive care: techniques, logistics
Emergency medical care
Emergency Medicine - education
Emergency Treatment - standards
Failure
Forensic medicine
Hospitals
Humans
Intensive care medicine
Intensive care unit. Emergency transport systems. Emergency, hospital ward
Internet
Medical sciences
Medicine
Pain
Physicians
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Skin
Syndrome
Terrorism
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Summary:The lack of prompt recognition a chemical or biologic terrorist act can quickly lead to disaster. [...]an accurate assessment of the ability of emergency physicians to identify terrorism syndromes, the physical signs and symptoms of chemical and biologic mass destruction agents, is crucial to national security [1-11]. Letters containing anthrax sent to health clinics and business offices in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee [12], and events such as the sarin gas release in the subways of Tokyo [7] show that terrorism using biologic or chemical weapons is a plausible threat. Emergency medicine education must formally prepare residents and attending physicians to recognize and clinically manage chemical and biologic terrorism agents [1].2 Methods 2.1 Study design The study instrument was a self-developed 17-picture examination containing descriptions of 11 chemical or biologic terrorism syndromes, none of which involved mass casualty events, which was offered anonymously through the Internet and in person.
ISSN:0735-6757
1532-8171
DOI:10.1016/j.ajem.2007.03.003