Disaster medicine is an integral component of emergency medicine.

摘要

At our editorial board meeting in Stockholm in October 2010, the question of whether or not disaster medicine is an integral part of emergency medicine once again came to the fore. Some members felt that disaster medicine had little relevance to the practising emergency medicine specialist, given that it is such a specific area of expertise. The majority, however, expressed the view that disaster medicine was an integral part of emergency medicine, and the principles of management of disasters could be applied fairly regularly in the emergency department and prehospital settings. We decided that we should continue to welcome papers relating to disaster medicine as it is such an important and integral part of European emergency medicine practice, and given the close relationships that the European Society for Emergency Medicine shares with the European Master in Disaster Medicine course.