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Establishing a High Level of Knowledge Regarding Bioterrorist Threats in Emergency Department Physicians: Methodology and the Results of a National Bio-Preparedness Project

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Adi Leiba ,
Nir Drayman ,
Yoram Amsalem ,
Adi Aran ,
Gali Weiss ,
Ronit Leiba ,
Dagan Schwartz ,
Yehezkel Levi ,
Avishay Goldberg  and
Yaron Bar-Dayan
Adi Leiba*
Affiliation:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command, Israel
Nir Drayman
Affiliation:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command, Israel
Yoram Amsalem
Affiliation:
IDF Medical Corps, Chemical Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medicine Branch, Israel
Adi Aran
Affiliation:
IDF Medical Corps, Chemical Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medicine Branch, Israel
Gali Weiss
Affiliation:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command, Israel
Ronit Leiba
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
Dagan Schwartz
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Yehezkel Levi
Affiliation:
Surgeon General Headquarters, IDF Medical Corps, Israel
Avishay Goldberg
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Yaron Bar-Dayan
Affiliation:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command, Israel
*
Col. Dr. Y. Bar-Dayan, MD, MHA Chief Medical Officer, IDF Home Front Command 16 Dolev St. Neve Savion Or-Yehuda, Israel E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Introduction:

Medical systems worldwide are facing the new threat of morbidity associated with the deliberate dispersal of microbiological agents by terrorists. Rapid diagnosis and containment of this type of unannounced attack is based on the knowledge and capabilities of medical staff. In 2004, the knowledge of emergency department physicians of anthrax was tested. The average test score was 58%. Consequently, a national project on bioterrorism preparedness was developed. The aim of this article is to present the project in which medical knowledge was enhanced regarding a variety of bioterrorist threats, including cutaneous and pulmonary anthrax, botulinum, and smallpox.

Methods:

In 2005, military physicians and experts on bioterrorism conducted special seminars and lectures for the staff of the hospital emergency department and internal medicine wards.Later, emergency department senior physicians were drilled using one of the scenarios.

Results:

Twenty-nine lectures and 29 drills were performed in 2005.The average drill score was 81.7%.The average score of physicians who attended the lecture was 86%, while those who did not attend the lectures averaged 78.3% (NS).

Conclusions:

Emergency department physicians were found to be highly knowledgeable in nearly all medical and logistical aspects of the response to different bioterrorist threats. Intensive and versatile preparedness modalities, such as lectures, drills, and posters, given to a carefully selected group of clinicians, can increase their knowledge, and hopefully improve their response to a bioterrorist attack.

Keywords

anthraxbioterrorismbotulinumeducationemergency departmentsmallpox
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 207 - 211
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2007

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