Power outages can strike without warning. For some, they are a minor inconvenience that lasts only a few moments. But some outages can last for many days, endangering the health of people who depend on ventilators and other electrical devices to remain healthy and alive.

It’s the nightmare scenario for emergency health care providers – arriving at the scene of a crisis or preparing to attend to an emergency room patient and a vital piece of equipment unexpectedly fails. The precious time spent finding a replacement or coming up with a Plan B is time that many patients cannot afford.

It was a calm Sunday in 2017 on the southern coast of England when people strolling along the shore were suddenly engulfed in a strange chemical cloud. More than 130 people were treated at an area hospital for complaints ranging from sore throats to streaming eyes, to difficulty breathing. The source and the composition of the cloud have never been determined, but the event is a reminder that hazardous materials can cause a range of medical issues—one of the most serious being respiratory emergencies.

Whether you have a disability, or someone you know has one, disability impacts everyone, at all ages and stages of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to one in four (27%) adults in the U.S. have some type of disability, and 12.1% of U.S. adults have a mobility disability with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Prehospital care is a sector of the medical field that is constantly evolving with new research and advancements. When it comes to prehospital care for pediatric patients, things can get a little tricky. One of the most pressing questions that comes up when a provider is navigating prehospital care for a child is, “Should I utilize an intubation tube or not?” There are several important factors providers must understand and consider to make the most informed decisions about intubation during prehospital pediatric care.

It’s back-to-school season. You’ve thought of the lunches, the new pencils and those lovely first-day-of-school outfits. But, is airway safety on your back-to-school checklist? There are many airway emergencies that can happen at school that providers, families, school nurses and teachers should be aware of and prepared to address.

Sooner or later, every nursing home will face a major emergency. Nursing home emergencies exist along a continuum. Issues such as choking may affect only a single patient, whereas outbreaks of the flu and other infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, can endanger the lives of every resident. In 2017, natural disasters affected more than three million people, and nursing home residents are not exempt from these statistics. Any of these incidents can lead to additional health issues, such as infectious outbreaks and chronic respiratory issues, so it is important to implement a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan. 

There are many unexpected symptoms that can stem from common traumas and accidents, and individuals often suffer significant airway damage from traumatic events. Around the world, injuries such as car accidents, gunshot wounds and concussions account for over 3 million non-fatal injuries per year. These common trauma scenarios can happen to anyone, and it’s critical that providers and patients understand the airway damage that results from physical trauma.

In 2018, Hurricane Michael required the evacuation of eight hospitals. Thanks to a thoughtful evacuation plan and quick action, no evacuees died. An emergency patient transport plan is critical to patient survival and can help preserve your organization’s reputation during a major crisis.

Hospitals are required to have emergency plans, so make sure yours is truly effective by following these steps.

Public health experts have been warning about a worldwide pandemic for decades. Unwilling or unable to believe what could happen, most people put their heads in the sand. We’ve now seen that a local virus can tear through lives across the globe, upending everything we do. 

The next pandemic is inevitable. Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as COVID, and we will be better prepared. There’s a distinct possibility, however, that it will be worse. Here’s what your agency can do now to get ready for whatever lies ahead.