A physician's ethical responsibility to prepare for and respond to disasters and other catastrophic events.

摘要

Beginning with the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the tragedies of September 11,2001, and subsequent hurricanes, tornadoes, and manmade tragedies, many American physicians have been faced with responding to disasters equipped with only a general knowledge of emergency casualty care. The tragic mass shootings at Columbine High School (1999), Fort Hood (2009), and the Aurora, Colorado movie theater (2012) demonstrate how unexpected mass casualties can challenge medical facilities and providers. In addition, the threats of anthrax bioterrorism (2001), severe acute respiratory syndrome, and avian influenza (H5N1) outbreaks or pandemics seem to linger just over the horizon.