An Ounce of Prevention is a Ton of Work: Mass Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Anthrax, New York City, 2001

摘要

Protocols for mass antibiotic prophylaxis againstanthrax were under development in New York City begin-ning in early 1999. This groundwork allowed the city'sDepartment of Health to rapidly respond in 2001 to six sit-uations in which cases were identified or anthrax sporeswere found. The key aspects of planning and lessonslearned from each of these mass prophylaxis operationsare reviewed. Antibiotic distribution was facilitated by limit-ing medical histories to issues relevant to prescribing pro-phylactic antibiotic therapy, formatting medical records tofacilitate rapid decision making, and separating each com-ponent activity into discrete work stations. Successfulimplementation of mass prophylaxis operations was char-acterized by clarity of mission and eligibility criteria, well-defined lines of authority and responsibilities, effectivecommunication, collaboration among city agencies (includ-ing law enforcement), and coordination of staffing and sup-plies. This model can be adapted for future planning needsincluding possible attacks with other bioterrorism agents,such as smallpox