At press time, medical teams from around the globe were focusing relief efforts on the shattered nation of Haiti.
In the meantime, resources are available for emergency and other physicians interested in helping Haiti now, and in staying up to date on what medical providers should do in any disaster response situation.
EMS and Disaster Preparedness Resources www.acep.org/practres.aspx?id=30194
The American College of Emergency Physicians has collected Haiti-related links to disaster management sites, as well as general disaster preparedness information for physicians.
The CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response Web Site www.bt.cdc.gov
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance for relief workers preparing to travel to Haiti, including recommended vaccines, infectious disease information, essential items to bring, and recommendations for handling potential psychological and emotional difficulties.
Earthquake-Specific Injury Management Fact Sheets emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/clinicians.asp
The CDC offers tips on crush injuries and wound management.
National Disaster Medical System www.hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/ndms/join/index.html
Interested in joining a disaster medical assistance team? Visit the NDMS Web site for recruitment details.
Mass Medical Care With Scarce Resources: The Essentials www.ahrq.gov/prep/mmcessentials
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality published this guide in 2007 and unveiled two more disaster management tools last fall (www.ahrq.gov/prep/acfselection
ACEP's Disaster Medicine Section www.acep.org/acepmembership.aspx?id=24994
The Disaster Medicine Section provides a forum for ACEP members interested in medical and nonmedical management of disasters.