AUSTERE, REMOTE AND DISASTER MEDICINE-KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE

Keywords

Wilderness medicine
disaster medicine
resource-limited
7 P’S

How to Cite

Macias, D., & Williams, J. (2021). AUSTERE, REMOTE AND DISASTER MEDICINE-KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE. Mediterranean Journal of Emergency Medicine, (20), 23-29. Retrieved from http://ojs.mjemonline.com/index.php/mjem/article/view/27

Abstract

Medical care in resource-limited environments (“austere” settings) can occur in the context of a disaster, wilderness, or a tactical field operation. Regardless of the type of environment, there are common organizational themes in most successful humanitarian missions that occur in harsh environmental conditions, be they natural, or man-made. These principles prioritize the initiation and execution of any given deployment in austere or remote settings, diverging from priorities that would occur in a situation where the medical structure is intact and operating well. Attention to these priorities not only helps providers with delivering medical care to the needy during a period of resource limitations, they also can keep a provider, teams, the public, and a patient safe during, and after a deployment.

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