To assess the current state of knowledge and perceptions towards heatwaves of emergency department (ED) health care workers in Singapore and investigate potential strategies and solutions to improve the knowledge and readiness.

A qualitative study conducted in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore, using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with an open-ended interview guide on emergency physicians and registered nurses of various lengths of work experience actively working in the ED. Thematic analysis was employed involving memo-writing, coding, and theme-development with constant comparison.

Six themes— (1) Knowledge and understanding of Extreme Weather Events, (2) Knowledge and risk-assessment of Heatwaves, (3) Impressions of increased vulnerability to heatwaves, (4) Preventive measures for acute heat related illness, (5) Heatwave impact on the emergency department, and (6) Potential strategies and solutions—emerged and were presented in an interactive framework. Overall, it emerged that there is basic foundational knowledge, with more education and training required, especially targeting the knowledge gaps identified. There is also a need to increase awareness of heatwaves and their impact on health, and to develop comprehensive extreme heat response plans.

The findings provide a framework for emergency departments to guide their preparations for inevitable heatwaves and their associated health impacts.

Heavy rain and flood frequently occur in recent years and hospitals’ preparedness for flood is important. To secure patient safety, hospital evacuation planning and drills due to flooding by heavy rain is inevitable. In the study the relation of factors with hospitals’ preparedness for flood by heavy rain was analyzed.

Subjects of the study were disaster base hospitals in Japan (n = 765). Internet survey conducted in 2022. Bayesian network was used to analyze the interrelation of factors.

430 hospitals (56.2%) were used for analysis. 42.1% of the hospital were located in designated flooded area and 33.7% of the hospitals have planning of hospital evacuation due to flooding. Display of area where flooding is expected in case of heavy rain and landslide warning area leads to a hospital evacuation planning and evacuation drills.

Display of flooded area by heavy rain or landslide warning zone by governments is effective in advancing hospital preparedness for flood. Hospitals’ recent experience of flood or landslide did not lead to evacuation planning or evacuation drills due to flood. These findings are useful in advancing hospitals’ preparedness for flood and heavy rain.

As extreme weather events become more pervasive due to climate change, identifying populations with lower access to resources becomes critical for timely mitigation efforts. Here we analyzed data from a survey conducted in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida to investigate demographic and housing characteristics of those vulnerable to home damage, flooding, and mold exposure after an extreme weather event.

The survey participants comprised a convenience sample of 167 total respondents, most of whom resided in the Greater New Orleans Area. Sociodemographic, housing, and geographic factors were considered that described the population reporting home damage, flooding, and/or mold due to Hurricane Ida compared with those who did not experience these outcomes from Hurricane Ida.

Sociodemographic and housing factors predicting adverse impact from Hurricane Ida included race, retirement status, educational attainment, Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), type of home, and homeownership status. Of note, those whose homes had flooded prior to Ida had significantly higher odds of reporting home damage with Ida.

Of all the sociodemographic factors associated with Hurricane Ida damage including flooding and mold, a greater level of the SVI was most consistent and often had the strongest associations with these adverse outcomes. A public health focus on neighborhoods with higher SVI could help lead to strategies to mitigate and prevent exposure in future flood events.

This study examined if and how first responders in Nigeria provide Psychological First Aid to emergency victims. Key objectives include assessing first responders’ awareness of Psychological First Aid, determining their level of PFA training and level of PFA utilization with emergency treatment.

A descriptive cross-sectional survey that adopted a mixed-method approach was utilized. This study was carried out among first responders living in Lagos State, Nigeria. The quantitative aspect of the study consisted of 386 respondents. In contrast, for the qualitative study, 17 participants were selected using snowball sampling across various strata of first responders based on their diverse roles and experience in emergency response.

Findings from this study deduced that 59.6% of respondents were aware of, 27.2% were trained, and 38.3% practiced PFA. However, findings noted a significant difference in awareness based on education, as persons with tertiary education were 4.21 times more likely to be aware than those without (OR = 1.73-10.23). Qualitative findings revealed that respondents lacked access to opportunities to practice PFA due to the absence of protocols in their learning and practice environments.

This study highlights varying levels of awareness and training in Psychological First Aid (PFA) among respondents, indicating both opportunities and challenges in preparedness for emergency response. Strategies that promote PFA awareness among older age groups should be developed, and entry-level first responders should also receive PFA training.

We aimed to reveal the psychological effects of old and young individuals after the earthquake by looking at their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression situations.

Data collected by face-to-face survey method were analyzed. The 4 provinces (Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, and Gaziantep) most affected by the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey on February 6, 2023 were included in the study. Peritraumatic distress inventory, impact of events scale, and Beck depression inventory were applied to 300 people (150 old, 150 young).

The presence of peritraumatic stress was observed in 94% (282 people), PTSD symptoms in 90% (270 people) and moderate to severe depression in 36.7% (110 people). When younger were compared with those elders, it was concluded that there was no significant difference in terms of presence of peritraumatic distress (49.6% vs. 50.4%, P=0.627), PTSD (49.6% vs. 50.4%, P=0.620) and moderate to severe depression (45.5% vs. 54.5%, P=0.258).

We found similar rates of PTSD and depression symptoms in older and younger adults exposed to earthquakes. Policies need to be developed to ensure psychological well-being after an earthquake disaster in the adult population regardless of age group.