Chapter 20 – International Humanitarian Law
Abstract Sadly, war has perhaps been one of the few constants throughout the history of humanity. This has in turn necessitated rules and law that place boundaries on these hostilities….
Chapter 19 – Security in Disaster Anesthesia
Abstract A disaster may occur through natural or man-made events. It can be the result of war, terrorist events, or through so-called acts of god such as floods, tsunamis, earthquakes,…
Chapter 22 – Austere Obstetric Anesthesia
Abstract Situations of disaster, whether due to natural disaster or man-made disaster, are non-discriminatory. All individuals are affected equally, whether male or female, young or old. Persons who are providing…
Chapter 16 – Pain in Disasters
Abstract Optimal management of severe pain in a traditional hospital setting can be a challenging process. 1-3 Yet, attempting to manage pain in an out-of-hospital, combat, or austere environment is…
Chapter 15 – Chemical and Radiologic Exposures in Trauma and Disasters
Abstract Ethanol and recreational drugs are by far the most common chemical exposures associated with trauma. This chapter, however, covers other possibly associated exposures: toxic industrial chemicals (TIC), chemical weapons…
Chapter 14 – Considerations When Working with Children and Families
Abstract A child’s response to disaster is influenced by developmental stage, parental coping, and family stability. Parents are expected to monitor the eating, sleeping, and socializing of very young children,…
Chapter 13 – Disaster: Mental Health Effects, Responses, and What Clinicians Can Do
Abstract Descriptions of disasters and their psychological impact as severe trauma on humans appear in ancient literature, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and various religious texts. The historian Herodotus,…
Chapter 11 – Laboratory Tests and Blood Banking
Abstract Although routine pre-operative laboratory testing is firmly established in anesthesia practice, common themes to emerge from the literature are that blood tests are inconsistently applied, consistently overused, and routine…
Chapter 10 – Special Populations: Children
Abstract Anesthesiologists are likely to face pediatric disaster victims both in the developed world and in developing countries, as children are a significant percentage of the global population. Although many…
Chapter 9 – Children in Disasters
Abstract Children are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. In disasters that vulnerability is magnified, especially for the very young and those children who are unaccompanied or have pre-existing…
