Mass casualties and Health Care following the release of toxic chemicals or radioactive material

Synopsis

MASH EU Project 2007/209

WP9 Final Report: Version 1.0 Foresight into needs. possibilities and information requirements for the future

It is prudent to plan for the response to a mass emergency involving toxic chemicals or radioactive materials, although such events are rare. Nevertheless, such an eventuality may develop at a rate and reach a magnitude sufficient to impose a major crisis on society. The EU MASH (Mass casualties and healthcare following the release of toxic chemicals or radioactive compounds) project has the objective of identifying ways to improve the overall capacity in Member States to deal with casualties of such incidents.

The MASH project is divided into a number of work packages. Work packages 4 to 6 identified example chemical and radiological incidents and investigated current response and casualty management capability in EU Member States; work packages 7 and 8 investigated developments in information and communication technology and biotechnology that have the potential to improve casualty management. This report describes the findings of work package 9, the foresight study conducted for the MASH project, which draws on the findings of the other work packages.

A large scale incident, although rare, may stretch the resources of a single country so that expert help may be requested from neighbouring nations, or it may affect several countries. If there are at least some procedures in common between nations, an international response can be carried out more easily and will therefore be more effective. Hence, it is important that European wide co-ordination is established and maintained. European networks and research programmes therefore, have a key role to play in the development of generic preparedness planning and interoperability, to mitigate the impact of mass emergencies.

Although the management of chemical and radiation casualties appears similar, there are substantial differences that need to be recognised, particularly relating to the pathophysiology produced following exposure and the time scale over which it develops. This difference is even more important when a chemical or radiation injury is accompanied by physical trauma from an associated explosion.

This report identifies a number of areas for improvement and proposes six strategic aims for a programme of actions that would improve the overall capacity of Member States to deal with a mass casualty event involving toxic chemical or radioactive materials. This report also proposes a number of key objectives for EU coordinated projects and initiatives over the next 3 years, 10 years and beyond which will enable these strategic aims to be met.

Last reviewed: 7 March 2011