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The Evaluation of Readiness of Medical Personnel to Act Under Conditions of Chemical Contamination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2014

Łukasz Szarpak  and
Andrzej Kurowski
Łukasz Szarpak*
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiosurgery and Transplantology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland
Andrzej Kurowski
Affiliation:
Anesthesiology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Łukasz Szarpak, MSc, Modlinska 201A/11 St, 03-122 Warsaw, Poland (e-mail: Lukasz.szarpak@gmail.com).
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Abstract

Objective

We evaluated the knowledge of physicians, nurses, and paramedics in Poland about the procedures in a chemical contamination.

Methods

An anonymous survey was mailed to 600 randomly selected physicians, nurses, and paramedics. The survey included questions concerning the process of decontamination, knowledge of toxidromes, and the use of selected antidotes.

Results

Completed surveys were received from 510 respondents (85%). A very low level of knowledge was observed regarding decontamination techniques (from 8.3% to 34.2%), use of antidotes (from 13.7% to 61%), and knowledge of toxidromes (from 10.2% to 22.7%).

Conclusions

Our findings showed that for all aspects of chemical rescue procedures queried, the knowledge of medical personnel was not satisfactory. Both practical and theoretical training of medical personnel is urgently needed for life-saving procedures during a chemical contamination. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014:0:1–4)

Keywords

medical personnelknowledgechemical contamination
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 8 , Supplement 4 , August 2014 , pp. 297 - 300
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2014 

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