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Home > Practice Resources > Safety Resources > Emergency Management

Health care organizations and their personnel play a key role in disaster preparedness for their community and country. Ambulatory surgery centers play an important role and must be included in emergency management while participating in community-wide disaster planning. They must also be among the best prepared to respond to disasters, along with the police, fire, rescue, and other public safety services.

While emergency preparedness has traditionally focused on natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms) and mass casualty accidents (e.g., train wrecks, airplane crashes, and fires), that all changed on September 11, 2001. Since then, health care facilities have increased their efforts to deal with these and other terrorist attacks, including the potential use of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons.

AORN's Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines include:

• The Guidance Statement: Mass Casualty, Triage, and Evacuation
• The Guideline on Human and Avian Influenza and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Disaster Preparedness

Pocket Reference Guide on Smallpox Vaccination
This guide describes how the vaccine is administered and depicts both normal and adverse reactions to the vaccine.

• Developed by:
• The Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness of the Department of Health and Human Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Logical Images, a developer of interactive diagnostic tools that integrate clinical photographs and medical knowledge
• Reference guide Editor-in-Chief - Vince A. Fulginiti MD, Professor Emeritus of the University of Arizona Health Sciences University.
• Funding to produce and distribute the pocket reference guide provided by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Small Pox Vaccination and Adverse Events Training Module
Logical Images, Inc. has copyrighted this brochure (available in both print and PDF format) but has granted unrestricted use of these materials to health care professionals for educational, training, and clinical use.

Commercial reproduction of the guide is not permitted.
Those interested in this module are encouraged to obtain and distribute printed copies of the reference guide from either Center for Disease Control (CDC) or Logical Images, Inc.

Emergency Management Links

Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction - Five free downloadable annual reports.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Bioterrorism Resources - many useful practice guidelines on bioterrorism and readiness planning.

The Centers for the Study of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections at Saint Louis University School of Public Health - information on nuclear, chemical, and biological agents, general bioterrorism information and planning documents. In addition, they publish a monthly electronic newsletter.

The National Center for Infectious Diseases - disease information, guidelines, and publications available.

The Center for Biosecurity, an independent, non-profit organization of the University of Pitt sburgh Medical Center- offers a free downloadable version of "How to Lead during Bioattacks with the Public's Trust and Help, A Manual for Mayors, Governors, and Top Health Officials." Other resources related to biosecurity are also available.

John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - provides news releases and multiple resources related to bioterrorism and preparedness.

Members of the American Hospital Association (AHA) can download the Disaster Readiness document, published September 2001.

Hazmat for Healthcare - a free web site intended and designed for hospitals and related organizations to create and/or improve their hazardous materials emergency response programs for both internal spills and managing contaminated patients.

Greater New York Hospital Association, Emergency Preparedness Resource Center - provides educational information, resources, and tools from GNYHA and other sources.

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau and the American Red Cross - a jointly developed online case study,"Disaster Preparedness and Response for Nurses," which is available free to all nurses (2 Ces). Online courses related to disaster readiness are also available for a fee.
www.nursingsociety.org/education/ceonline.html

Defense against Toxin Weapons - a manual providing basic information on biological toxins to military leaders and health-care providers at all levels to help them make informed decisions on protecting their troops from toxins.

Association for Infection Control Practitioners Bioterroism Planning Template for Healthcare Facilities - from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.