The effect of hurricane Ivan on emergency department operations at the University Hospital of the West Indies

Abstract

events such as earthquakes or fires which involve the hospital directly. A preparatory or warning phase, however, may be possible in many instances, such as hurricanes. During this time, inventories should be established and needs should be anticipated.Hurricane disasters may cause large spontaneous or organized population movements, often to areas where health services cannot cope with the new situation, thus leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Displacing large populations may also increase the risks of outbreaks of communicable diseases both in the displaced and the host community, where large populations of displaced persons may be crowded together and share unsanitary conditions or

Powerless in the Virgin Islands: Emergency Department and Wound Care Clinic Utilization Following the 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

“…Significantly, more visits after the storms were among patients with a primary diagnosis of injuries to the head, wrist and hand, ankle and foot, knee and lower leg, abdomen/lower back/spine/pelvis, neck, thorax, and elbow/forearm (Figure 1). This finding is consistent with prior studies, 17,20,24,[26][27][28][29][30] and is possibly because residents devoted considerable time attending to their damaged homes between storms and engaged in recovery activities known to produce injuries and health conditions in the aftermath of the hurricanes. 17,28,48…”

“…42,43 The increase in visits among this population may represent the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergy cases, which were reported in previous studies to be aggravated by the storms, 6,14,26,27,44 and may also reflect visits among a population more likely engaged in home repairs and outdoor activities in the period between and after the storms. Previous studies show patients with respiratory complications, [17][18][19]24,26,27,30,45,46 and allergies, 47 were at an increased risk during hurricanes, and the risks were closely associated with environmental exposures. 45 In a study examining ED utilization rates associated with 7 hurricanes across 9 states, respiratory conditions and injuries accounted for the increased ED visits among middleaged individuals.…”

“…Other studies have shown a gender-linked difference in ED utilization. 17,19,28,30 This variance may be correlated with more males remaining in their damaged homes and engaging in activities that engender trauma-related cases, 17,19,28 and possibly inequitable access to and utilization of social support systems to moderate the effect of the disaster. 6,19,26 The storms disturbed many social networks and family cohesion.…”

“…Substantial evidence shows the effects of power outages on healthcare delivery, home healthcare services, the public health infrastructure, and adverse health outcomes. [8][9][10][11][12][13] The effects of hurricanes on the increased utilization of EDs in New York, [14][15][16][17][18][19] New Jersey, [20][21][22] and Texas 23 ; across 9 U.S. states, 24 among Caribbean islands, [25][26][27][28][29][30] and the impact of a category 5 tropical cyclone on disaster related wounds, 31 have been recently investigated. The hurricane studies attributed the increased ED visits to disrupted access to care for a range of chronic diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (including ventilator dependence), renal disease, dementia, and mental disorders; disaster-related conditions (such as hypothermia or environmental exposures); carbon monoxide-related accidents; and a lack of prescription refills.…”

Vigilância em saúde e desastres de origem natural: uma revisão da literatura

“…Como exemplo, pode-se citar o estudo de Williams et al 39 , que leva a reflexões sobre medidas tanto de preparação quanto de resposta, ao evidenciar as ações adotadas antes e após o furacão Ivan na Jamaica em 2004.…”