BIOTERRORISM AND EMS
BIOTERRORISM AND EMS
Bioterrorism in Relation to the EMS System
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Running head: BIOTERRORISM AND EMS
Abstract
The problem of bioterrorism has caused so many deaths since the first attack. This kind of terrorist attack is very dangerous, as it claims large numbers of people’s lives within no time. The toxins released cause highly contagious diseases which spread extremely fast. The damage caused by bioterrorism can be difficult to control, but the EMS system contributes to the efforts made to contain it. There are various health care protocols set for the purpose of such events. Some of them apply to paramedics. This paper contains a research conducted on bioterrorism with respect to the Emergency Medical Service, particularly on paramedics. It is meant to create a better understanding of bioterrorism and the role of the emergency medical care providers in the event of its occurrence. The paper contains the findings of the research, the methods used to conduct the study, a discussion of the findings as well as a conclusion.
Introduction
Within the health system is a special expert body in the field of bioterrorism and emergency treatment. This body can help come up with programs that can help paramedics in their provision of emergency medical services (EMS). Paramedics work every day to offer emergency medical care to citizens with medical problems. Paramedics are offered training in preparedness for and response to medical emergencies, disaster as well as terrorism. The EMS system offers medical care to patients before they arrive at the hospital, in addition to their intended role of ensuring that trauma patients get to hospitals in good time. The EMS has been expanded such that it can offer care to patients with life-threatening health problems.
Bioterrorism has become a great threat in the 21st Century, posing as a challenge to paramedics and nurses. These threats are usually caused by political or religious factors, which lead to people preparing and releasing toxic biological agents in order to create fear. There have been long-standing guidelines and protocols laid out to be used when a serious threat is deliberately posed by the release of such harmful agents as small pox and anthrax (Curtis & Ramsden, 2011).
In the event of bioterrorism, protocol states that the actions to be taken include vaccination, delivery of medication, minor surgeries and laboratory tests among others, depending on what is required under the circumstance. Additionally, the paramedic practice will be charged with the responsibility to make sure every paramedic is well trained to follow the stated protocols, and that they are supervised, remedied as needed and that there is a paramedic activity report presented to the Medical Practice Board whenever possible (Rivera & Megargel, 2008).
Paramedic Training
Before they graduate, paramedics are taught several lessons to prepare them for a number of areas, for instance, general pathophysiological principles, medication administration, venous access as well as pharmacology. Additionally, they are given instructions to guide through ventilation and airway management, assessment of patients, medical emergencies, traumatic
Injuries and such special medical considerations as emergency medical services, geriatrics and pediatrics, assessment-based management and system operations (J.Walz, Bissell, Maguire, & Judge, 2003). Walz and his friends also reported that paramedics are adequately trained to offer various childhood immunizations, tests for tuberculosis as well as rabies vaccines. Macdonald and his colleagues gave details of a program that was introduced in 2003, when there was an outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome. The program involved paramedics, physicians and communications experts from the EMS to come up with an EMS-based center for tracking and control of inter-facility transfers. The program helped contain the outbreak to the non-contaminated medical centers within Toronto. Additionally, McKenna and friends reported that the bioterrorism surveillance system in Boston is comprehensive, and that the close links between the city’s Health Commission’s Communicable Disease Control Division and the EMS agency is said to be an important relationship in the accomplishment of the surveillance system (Markenson, Reilly, & DiMaggio, 2005).
In spite of the significance of the EMS to public health and their major contribution to preparedness for and response to emergency, recent reports show major loopholes in the EMS agencies’ preparedness for and response to bioterrorism and the emergencies they cause. A survey conducted in 2002 on EMS systems and state trauma, the Health Resource Services Administration stated that national disaster response and preparedness training was inadequate, especially in areas affected by biological and chemical. The survey showed how EMS personnel were inadequately trained. Only 12% of the states indicated disaster training as a requirement among pre-hospital caregivers. Only 2% indicated biological agent training, while 6% stated chemical agent education. In the last few years, Congress has passed several acts requiring national preparedness that particularly deal with the need to have well-prepared and well-trained healthcare experts. Some of the acts include the 1997 Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Amendment and the Homeland Security Bill of 2003. In 1999, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) began the Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Program. The initiative availed $40 million to state health centers, which was meant for developing preparedness programs. Even through Focus Area “G” was the training of EMTs I 189 by the Public Health Department, meant to reinforce the preparedness training and education initiatives offered in health centers, EMS was not specifically declared as part of the funding program, which is still in operation. In 2002, Congress had an enactment of the HR 3448 (Act on Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response), which offers financial support to reinforce local and state public health bioterrorism and medical emergency preparedness. However, the EMS is not specifically listed as part of the training and education plan (Markenson, Reilly, & DiMaggio, 2005).
Nationally, the National EMS Physicians Association, the Public Health Association and the State EMS Directors’ Association created an MOU which included the following: (J.Walz, Bissell, Maguire, & Judge, 2003)
• Emergency Medical Services will work with the public health sector to determine the role of EMS providers’ role in in distributing immunization and vaccines.
• The Public Health and EMS should come up with regulations regarding prophylaxis as well as treatment of chemical and biological threats, in inclusion of those addressing the care of such special groups as the elderly, infants, children and pregnant women.
• The Public Health and EPS should look into the way Public Health staff and EMS providers are supposed to be certified and cross-trained to expand their capabilities in public health or medical response to terrorism as well as public health emergencies.
Willingness to Participate
Several studies conducted recently have addressed the perceptions of Paramedics and public health workers about going to work when there is a contagious outbreak. A survey was conducted among New York health care workers on the same. Over 80% of the respondents stated that they would able and/or willing to show up in case of environmental disasters or mass casualty. However, in the event of an outbreak of a smallpox or severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, only 57-68% would be able or willing to show up (Mackler, Wilkerson, & Cinti, 2007).
Methods
The method used for this study involved the collection of secondary data. This type of data gives the researcher access to data collected by many researchers, which is often more than what one would get from primary data (Vartanian, 2011). The data was obtained from several studies conducted in the past on the same and related topics. The sources of the data included books, reports and journals written by experts in the field of public health and emergency medicine. The results of surveys conducted by previous researchers were used as part of the study. The statistical and qualitative findings of these surveys and studies were used in the overall analysis of the past and current condition with regard to bioterrorism and the EMS. Since there was no primary data collected, there was no sampling involved. The qualitative data obtained from these sources was analyzed thematically. This method is used to arrange the data in themes and classifying them into major categories.
Discussion
It is clear that there is very little done to ensure that EMS professionals are not adequately trained to prepare for and respond to disaster and public health emergencies. This is as a result of the government failing to provide funds for the sole purpose of EMS training. There was a pattern in terms of the funds offered to support the health department. Programs were introduced to ensure training and education of healthcare personnel, leaving out the EMS. Additionally, only a few medical centers require EMS professionals to have adequate training on chemical and biological agents as well as overall disaster management. In general, there has been a lot of oversight on the fact that EMS personnel should be trained on bioterrorism and other disasters. However, there have been efforts made by the health sector to ensure that there is training of public health and EMS workers with regard to terrorism. There are also rules put up to ensure proper training of these workers on how to manage chemical and biological hazards as well as their duty when it comes to vaccination and immunization. The study also shows that in spite of the efforts to ensure the management of bioterrorism by the emergency and public health department, it is difficult to get the workers to take part in management of disasters caused bioterrorism. Only a few would be willing or able to work in a place where there is an outbreak of a dangerous and contagious disease, such as small pox or SARS.
Conclusion
Bioterrorism is a dangerous form of attack, which leads to the death of many victims within a short time. Over the years, there have been several cases of this form of terrorism. This led to the need for the health care department to come up with ways to manage these cases.
It is important for every health care provider to be aware of the possibility of bioterrorism occurring as well as the measures that should be taken to manage it. Additionally, it may be of great help if non-medical-professionals were educated about bioterrorism and what to do in the event of an attack. This is because there is a lower possibility of getting emergency medical help as a victim of terrorism than as a victim of any other form of trauma. For this reason, in addition to adequate training, extreme safety measures should be put in place to ensure the health of paramedics and other health care providers is protected as they try to assist the victims of bioterrorist attacks. The health care providers need to be sure that there is minimum risk of them getting infected while they do their best to save the victims’ lives. Governments all over the world should take into great consideration, the importance of a good bioterrorism management system in order to be able to contain the negative effects caused by such attacks whenever they occur. For this to work, further research needs to be conducted in order to gain more knowledge about the various toxins that can be released to cause harm, how they can be managed or how they can be stopped before causing damage.
References Curtis, K., & Ramsden, C. (2011). Emergency and Trauma Care for Nurses and Paramedics. Elseveir, Australia: Elsevier Health Sciences. J.Walz, B., Bissell, R. A., Maguire, B., & Judge, J. A. (2003). Vaccine Administration by Paramedics: A Model for Bioterrorism and Disaster Response Preparation. Berlin : Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/prehospital-and-disaster-medicine/article/vaccine-administration-by-paramedics-a-model-for-bioterrorism-and-disaster-response-preparation/07CDDB7B7074E9D45C8822E328F9921C Mackler, N., Wilkerson, W., & Cinti, S. (2007). Will First-Responders Show Up for Work During A Pandemic?Lessons From a Smallpox Vaccination Survey of Paramedics. Disaster Management and Response , 5(2), 47. Markenson, D., Reilly, M. J., & DiMaggio, C. (2005). Public Health Department Training of Emergency Medical Technicians for Bioterrorism and Public Health Emergencies: Results of A National Assessment. Public Health Management Practice, 8. Rivera, J. H., & Megargel, R. E. (2008). Chemical Terrorism, Bioterrorism and Pandemic Illness. Paramedic Standing Orders, 8. Vartanian, T. P. (2011). Secondary Data Analysis. New York: Oxford University Press.
