Mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) are overwhelming events which generate a surge in casualties, exceeding local capacity and stressing emergency services. Significant mortality, morbidity, and economic impact is often caused. They attract responses from both local and international governmental and non-governmental medical responders. To improve professional standards and accountability, there has been much recent focus on record-keeping by teams in these contexts. This paper seeks to further understand what data are gathered and shared as a result of MCIs to outline current practice and help move towards improved minimum standards of documentation.

A structured database search and abstract screening process was conducted utilizing PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. Data were then collected from all papers identified. To ensure all relevant data were gathered, authors of each included study were contacted to clarify their approach to data collection for their work.

From 154 included manuscripts, 64 data categories were found and recorded, capturing MCIs over a period of 32 years located in 42 countries from all World Health Organization (WHO) global regions. Retrospective and contemporaneous data collection was equally prevalent. In-hospital or research team data collection was most common. The ten most common data categories collected were: number of injuries (94.8%), number of deaths (89.6%), injury type (81.2%), cause of injury (79.9%), age (63.0%), sex (63.0%), treatment (62.3%), severity of injury (61.7%), outcome of injury (59.1%), and investigations/treatments given (55.8%). Of the contactable authors, only 29 responded. Sixteen reported reviewing notes retrospectively or using follow-up patient interviews.

There was significant variety in what data were collected, who collected it, and how it was done. The most common data categories were descriptive pieces of information or related to demographics. Only one-half of papers discussed treatments given. Information on both prehospital care and longer-term rehabilitation was much less prevalent.

Terrorism and shooting related MCIs were the largest by paper number. Predominantly made up of more recent MCIs in higher income countries, these findings potentially reflect more organized health care systems.

Overall, data collection in MCIs is challenging and heavily reliant on retrospective analysis. Current practice lacks standardization. If professionalism and accountability for health care delivery in MCIs is to be improved, so must the methods of data collection and minimum standards of documentation.

The implementation of South Africa’s maternal care guidelines is still subpar, especially during the postnatal periods, despite midwives playing a key part in postnatal care for women and their newborns. This article aimed to pinpoint the obstacles to and enablers of midwives’ roles in putting South Africa’s maternal care recommendations for postnatal health into practice.

A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley method. Systematic searches were conducted using the PsycINFO, Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), PubMed, EBSCOhost web, and Google Scholar. The screening was guided by the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using the Braun and Clarke method for thematic content analysis and included 22 articles. The quality of included studies was determined by Mixed Method Appraisal Tool and these were reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis for Scoping Review.

There is a gap between inadequate postnatal care services provision and suboptimal implementation of maternal recommendations. Owing to a lack of basic knowledge about the guidelines, an absence of midwives in the maternity units, inadequate facilities and resources, a lack of drive and support, inadequate training of midwives in critical competencies, and poor information sharing and communication. Maintaining qualified midwives in the maternity units and providing them with training to increase their capacity, knowledge, and competencies on the guidelines’ critical information for managing postnatal complications and providing high-quality care to women and their babies is necessary to effectively implement the recommendations.

The relative success in implementing maternal care guidelines in South Africa lies in the contextual consideration of these factors for the development of intersectoral healthcare packages, strengthening health system collaborations, and stakeholder partnerships to ameliorate maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality.

Humanitarian mine action (HMA) stakeholders have an organized presence with well-resourced medical capability in many conflict and post-conflict settings. Humanitarian mine action has the potential to positively augment local trauma care capacity for civilian casualties of explosive ordnance (EO) and explosive weapons (EWs). Yet at present, few strategies exist for coordinated engagement between HMA and the health sector to support emergency care system strengthening to improve outcomes among EO/EW casualties.

A scoping literature review was conducted to identify records that described trauma care interventions pertinent to civilian casualties of EO/EW in resource-constrained settings using structured searches of indexed databases and grey literature. A 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) review on trauma systems components in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) was updated with additional eligible reports describing trauma care interventions in LMICs or among civilian casualties of EO/EWs after 2001.

A total of 14,195 non-duplicative records were retrieved, of which 48 reports met eligibility criteria. Seventy-four reports from the 2017 WHO review and 16 reports identified from reference lists yielded 138 reports describing interventions in 47 countries. Intervention efficacy was assessed using heterogenous measures ranging from trainee satisfaction to patient outcomes; only 39 reported mortality differences. Interventions that could feasibly be supported by HMA stakeholders were synthesized into a bundle of opportunities for HMA engagement designated links in a Civilian Casualty Care Chain (C-CCC).

This review identified trauma care interventions with the potential to reduce mortality and disability among civilian EO/EW casualties that could be feasibly supported by HMA stakeholders. In partnership with local and multi-lateral health authorities, HMA can leverage their medical capabilities and expertise to strengthen emergency care capacity to improve trauma outcomes in settings affected by EO/EWs.

The mortality and morbidity due to road traffic crashes (RTCs) are increasing drastically world-wide. Poor prehospital care management contributes to dismal patient outcomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and self-reported practice (KAP) of providing first aid for RTC victims by commercial motorcyclists. In addition, it determined the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and the level of KAP, then the predicting factors of outcome variables.

A cross-sectional study of 200 randomly selected commercial motorcyclists was conducted in May 2021. A chi-square test and multivariate analysis were used to analyze data.

The findings showed that most participants had a poor knowledge level (87.5 %), positive attitudes (74.5%), and poor self-reported practice (51.5%). Previous first-aid training and knowing an emergency call number for the police were predictors of good knowledge (AOR = 3.7064; 95% CI, 1.379-9.956 and AOR = 6.132; 95% CI,1.735-21.669, respectively). Previous first-aid training was also a predictor of positive attitudes (AOR = 3.087; 95% CI, 1.033-9.225). Moreover, the likelihood of having an excellent self-reported practice was less among participants under 40 years of age (AOR = 0.404; 95% CI, 0.182-0.897) and those who cared for up to five victims (AOR = 0.523; 95% CI, 0.282-0.969). Contrary, previous first-aid training (AOR = 2.410; 95% CI, 1.056-5.499) and educational level from high school and above increased the odds of having good self-reported practice (AOR = 2.533; 95% CI, 1.260-5.092).

Considering the study findings, training should be provided to improve the knowledge and skills of commercial motorcyclists since they are among the primary road users in Rwanda and involved in RTCs.

Drowning remains a significant cause of mortality among children world-wide, making prevention strategies crucial. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends training children in safe rescue techniques, including the use of basic skills such as throwing floating objects. This study aims to address a knowledge gap regarding the throwing capabilities of children aged six to twelve using conventional and alternative water rescue materials.

A total of 374 children aged six to twelve years participated in the study, including both males and females. A randomized crossover approach was used to compare throws with conventional rescue material (ring buoy and rescue tube) to an alternative material (polyethylene terephthalate [PET]-bottle). Throwing distance and accuracy were assessed based on age, sex, and the type of rescue tools used.

Children of all ages were able to throw the PET-bottle significantly farther than both the ring buoy (P <.001; d = 1.19) and the rescue tube (P <.001; d = 0.60). There were no significant differences (P = .414) in the percentage of children who managed to throw each object accurately.

Conventional rescue materials, particularly the ring buoy, may not be well-suited for long-distance throws by children. In contrast, lighter and smaller alternatives, such as PET-bottles, prove to be more adaptable to children’s characteristics, enabling them to achieve greater throwing distances. The emphasis on cost-effective and easily accessible alternatives should be implemented in drowning prevention programs or life-saving courses delivered to children.

This study assesses the operational challenges and clinical outcomes encountered by a university-based Emergency Medical Team (EMT) during the medical search and rescue (mSAR) response to the February 2023 earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.

In this observational study, data were retrospectively collected from 42 individuals who received mSAR services post-earthquake. The challenges were categorized as environmental, logistical, or medical, with detailed documentation of rescue times, patient demographics, injury types, and medical interventions.

In this mSAR study, 42 patients from 30 operations were analyzed and divided into environmental (26.2%), logistical (52.4%), and medical (21.4%) challenge groups. Median rescue times were 29 (IQR 28–30), 36.5 (IQR 33.75–77.75), and 30.5 (IQR 29.5–35.5) hours for each group, respectively (P = .002). Age distribution did not significantly differ across groups (P = .067). Hypothermia affected 18.2%, 45.5%, and 66.7% in the respective groups. Extremity injuries were most common in the medical group (88.9%). Intravenous access was highest in the medical group (88.9%), while splinting was more frequent in the medical (55.6%) and logistical (18.2%) groups. Hypothermia was most prevalent in the medical group (66.7%), followed by the logistical group (45.5%). Ambulance transport post-rescue was utilized for a minority in all groups.

The study concludes that logistical challenges, more than environmental or medical challenges, significantly prolong the duration of mSAR operations and exacerbate clinical outcomes like hypothermia, informing future enhancements in disaster response planning and execution.

The sudden onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was accompanied by a myriad of ethical issues that prompted the issuing of various ethical guidance documents for health care professionals in clinical, research, and public health settings throughout the United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The aim of this review was to identify the main principles in ethical guidance documents published in the UK and Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This review used a qualitative review methodology with thematic synthesis to analyze the included ethics-related guidance documents, as defined in this review, published in the UK and Ireland from March 2020 through March 2022. The search included a general search in Google Scholar and a targeted search on the websites of the relevant professional bodies and public health authorities in the two countries. The ethical principles in these documents were analyzed using the constant comparative method (CCM).

Forty-four guidance documents met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten main ethical principles were identified, namely: fairness, honesty, minimizing harm, proportionality, responsibility, autonomy, respect, informed decision making, duty of care, and reciprocity.

The guidelines did not present the ethical principles in equal detail. Some principles lacked definitions, leaving them vulnerable to misinterpretation by the documents’ end users. Priority was frequently given to collectivist ethics over individualistic approaches. Further clarity is required in future ethical guidance documents to better guide health care professionals in similar situations.

To investigate the status quo of residents’ knowledge, attitude, belief, and practice (KABP) and social support and the correlation of KABP with social support under normalized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic prevention and control.

A questionnaire was designed based on the KABP model, and an online survey was conducted among residents in September 2022. SPSS software (version 25.0) was used to analyze the data. Two independent sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate linear regression analysis, and Pearson’s correlation analysis were conducted.

In total, 326 valid questionnaires were obtained. The scoring rates of residents’ KABP and social support were 68.1%, 92.2%, 89.3%, 75.3%, and 62.6%, respectively. Main factors influencing residents’ knowledge included gender, nationality, education level, practice, and social support; those influencing attitude were belief and practice; those influencing belief were place of residence, attitude, and practice; those influencing practice were knowledge, attitude, belief, and social support; and those influencing social support were marital status, place of residence, knowledge, and practice. Social support was positively correlated with knowledge and practice.

This study provides a scientific foundation for the current normalized prevention and control of COVID-19 and is conducive to health managers to better carry out prevention and control related health education for specific groups.