Health in Emergencies and Disasters Quarterly
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Autumn 2015

One of the important aspects of hospital preparedness in disasters is its rapid early warning system. In this study, the activation of early warning system was evaluated under the monitoring of disasters workgroup of the Ministry of Health based on the national program of “hospitals preparedness in disasters” in Shahid Motahari Hospital.
The sample was composed of 801 adults exposed to the earthquake. Two months after the earthquake, all subjects were surveyed with measures administrated in a standard order as follows: demographic data sheet, disaster experiences scale (DES), general health questionnaire (GHQ), and symptom checklist 90-revised (SCL-90-R).
The results revealed that 23% of the survivors in the exposed group had ASD, 10% had anxiety symptoms, 7.5% depression, 4% MADD, 5% psychosomatic disorders, 10% phobia, 7% aggressive behavior, and 10% insomnia.
This article has summarized the current status of information on mental disorders caused by experiencing or witnessing a life threatening severe earthquake. The experience of fear, helplessness, and panic during the earthquake, and the appraisal by the victims of serious psychological, social, as well as demographical consequences after the earthquake, were positively related to the subscale scores and the total score of GHQ, SCL-90-R, and DES.

This study aimed to prospectively analyze the effect of a major earthquake on the prevalence of psychological disorders such as acute stress disorder (ASD), anxiety, depression, mixed anxiety depression disorder (MADD), phobia, aggressive behavior, insomnia, psychosomatic disorders and also sociodemographic aspects among residents of rural community sample in East Azerbaijan, Iran.
The sample was composed of 801 adults exposed to the earthquake. Two months after the earthquake, all subjects were surveyed with measures administrated in a standard order as follows: demographic data sheet, disaster experiences scale (DES), general health questionnaire (GHQ), and symptom checklist 90-revised (SCL-90-R).
The results revealed that 23% of the survivors in the exposed group had ASD, 10% had anxiety symptoms, 7.5% depression, 4% MADD, 5% psychosomatic disorders, 10% phobia, 7% aggressive behavior, and 10% insomnia.
This article has summarized the current status of information on mental disorders caused by experiencing or witnessing a life threatening severe earthquake. The experience of fear, helplessness, and panic during the earthquake, and the appraisal by the victims of serious psychological, social, as well as demographical consequences after the earthquake, were positively related to the subscale scores and the total score of GHQ, SCL-90-R, and DES.

Hospitals in Iran are not prepared for disasters the aim of this study was to determine the effect of training functional and nonstructural hospital safety to nurses and their intervention on hospital preparedness in psychiatric Razi Hospital and Day Hospital in Tehran based on Hospital Safety Index (HSI).
Materials and This semi-experimental study included nurse managers of Razi and Day hospitals as study sample. Research tool was checklist of hospital safety. Validity and reliability of the checklist was determined 93%. At first the checklist was filled out, then preparedness plan including a 1-day workshop about disaster management, functional andnonstructural safety and a table tab maneuvers held. Then, after two months, nonstructural and functional safety of the hospitals was re-evaluated by HSI checklist. Data were analyzed by using Excel file of the tool.
Findings showed that scores in most items of nonstructural and functional safety in HSI checklist significantly increased in two hospitals after workshop and nursing performance. Before intervention, these scores were 0.40 and 0.56 for Razi and Day hospitals, respectively which increased to 0.57, 0.86 after training.
Results showed that teaching nonstructural and functional safety to nurses and using these principles by nurses can promote hospital safety and preparedness. Comparison between hospitals showed that allocating more budget and executive power to the nurses can increase further the hospital preparedness. Given the key role of nurses in disaster preparedness, it is recommended to teach and apply functional and nonstructural safety of hospitals to nursing managers.

Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can play an important role in the survival and prevention of serious injuries to patients if they are in good physical and mental health and focus on doing their jobs with sufficient attention. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate attention level and its related factors in night shift prehospital emergency personnel.
This research is a descriptive-analytic study. A total of 114 Tehran prehospital emergency staff participated in this study. Pen and paper Bonnardel test and a questionnaire was used to collect information. The attention of the participants was assessed around 10-11 PM and 4-5 AM. The data were analyzed by using the Spearman correlation coefficient and independent t test.
Mean attention level of EMS staff was 0.490±0.237 around 10-11 PM and 0.456±0.252 around 4-5 AM. There was no statistically significant difference between the attention level of prehospital emergency staff around 10-11 PM and 4-5 AM (P˃0.01). Also, there was significant difference between age and the night attention (P The mean level of night attention of EMS staff was moderate. Therefore, based on the average number of daily missions in different bases, we recommend increasing the number of ambulances in the base or the number of bases in the crowded emergency areas. It is also necessary to increase welfare and nutritional facilities in prehospital emergency bases so that those who are older and experienced carry out fewer missions.

Disaster management relies on the prediction of problems and providing necessary preparations at the right time and place. In this study, researchers intended to explore previous experiences of health disaster management.
This study conducted using qualitative content analysis method. Participants were selected purposefully and data were collected through interviews, observation, and relevant documents.
Transcribed data from 18 interviews, field notes, and other documents were analyzed. In data analysis, “reactive management” was emerged as the main theme. It included some categories such as “exposure shock,” “nondeliberative relief,” “lack of comprehensive health disaster plan,” “lack of preparedness,” and “poor coordination in health service delivery” as well as contextual factors.
The results clarified deep perception of participants’ experiences about health management in disasters. The professionals and nonprofessionals’ emotion-based reactions and behaviors, if accompanied with deficiencies in planning and preparedness, can lead to ineffective services and aggravate the damages

Disasters always threaten human societies and cause high property damages and civilian casualties. Therefore, many studies are carried out to find the optimal policies and procedures for preparedness. This study was conducted to determine medical severity index of Kerman Province regarding disasters and accidents.
This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried in Kerman Province in 2015. Data were analyzed using N×S/TC equation. Medical severity index (MSI) was rated on Likert-type scale as very low, low, moderate, high, and very high.
The results showed that the mean MSI was 4.58 in Census method cities, which were the highest level and 0.25 in kerman city, which was the lowest. Highest MSI is related to earthquake risk (MSI=225) and the lowest MSI is related to flood risk (0.03).
As the means of MSI were high and very high, it is recommended to apply the required interventions to improve the effective components and increase hospital treatment and medical rescue capacities.

Some disaster-stricken people in Iran are still experiencing challenges of resuming normal life several months after the incident. However, there is not sufficient and in-depth understanding of the factors affecting the complex process of post disaster recovery in Iran and rural areas in particular. This study aimed to explore the status of social capital in the process of returning to normal life after an earthquake.
Materials and This study was conducted with the qualitative content analysis method. A total of 20 persons from the earthquake-stricken areas and 7 people with relevant scientific background and expertise were selected via purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field notes from August 2013 to January 2014. Data collection continued to achieve data saturation. Data analysis was based on qualitative content analysis.
The ignorance of social capital was one of the most significant concepts explored in the process of “back to the normal life” after earthquake. This concept was divided into 4 subcategories of 1) top-down paternalistic approach, 2) undermining of trust, 3) undermining of social networks and self-centering, 4) inefficiency of the social institutions, and 5) social cohesion and social division.
This study showed that many reason for ignoring social capital in the process of “back to the normal life” after earthquake should be considered in the recovery management. Policy-makers are suggested to consider a comprehensive plan for using and enhancing the social capital in the process of returning to normal life after earthquakes. This plan can provide an opportunity for rehabilitation after disasters.

Short golden time is important to save the injured in earthquake and to start search and rescue (SAR) operation as soon as possible in affected regions. This study evaluated application of geographic information system (GIS) for SAR operation in Rigan Town, Kerman Province, which was hit by an earthquake of 6.3 Richter scale on December 12, 2010 at 22:12.
A GIS-based decision-making system with 99 information layers was used to manage the perations in this earthquake. Decisions were made by using available information layers and a proportional scenario. The scenario was designed based on depth and intensity of the earthquake. All residential areas within the radius of 20 km from the epicenter were defined in emergency operation center (EOC) to be considered by SAR teams. Accordingly, SAR teams were called and dispatched to the affected area quickly. They were guiding using radio navigation.
The subsequent assessment on 25, 30, and 40 km buffers showed that there was no need to increase the field of search and rescue. Field managers were supported with provided information about affected people and villages, structural context of buildings, distribution of operational equipments, manpower, resources, and access roads. All of this updated information was provided by designed GIS.
Although the earthquake happened at 22:12 in a rural region with scattered population and 250 km far from decision-making center, the search and rescue operation was completed in the shortest possible time at 2:30 morning, next day.