Austere, Remote and Disaster Medicine-Keeping Everybody Safe

MACIAS D, WILLIAMS J. Austere, remote and disaster medicine-keeping everybody safe. Med Emergency, MJEM 2014; 20:23-9.

Keywords: Wilderness medicine, disaster medicine, resource-limited, 7 P’S

  • Authors’ affiliation
  • Article history / info
  • Conflict of interest statement
Correspondent author: Darryl MACIAS, MD

Department of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services Academy, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.

dmacias@salud.unm.edu

Macias D, MD, Williams J

Department of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services Academy, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.

Category: Continuous Education

Received: May 5, 2014

Revised: June 20, 2014

Accepted: July 4, 2014

There is no conflict of interest to declare

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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