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No calm after the storm: A systematic review of human health following flood and storm disasters

Saulnier, Dell LU orcid ; Brolin Ribacke, Kim and von Schreeb, Johan (2017) In Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 32(5). p.568-579
Abstract
Introduction How the burden of disease varies during different phases after floods and after storms is essential in order to guide a medical response, but it has not been well-described. The objective of this review was to elucidate the health problems following flood and storm disasters.
Methods: A literature search of the databases Medline (US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, Maryland USA); Cinahl (EBSCO Information Services; Ipswich, Massachusetts USA); Global Health (EBSCO Information Services; Ipswich, Massachusetts USA); Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters; New York, New York USA); Embase (Elsevier; Amsterdam, Netherlands); and PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology... (More)
Introduction How the burden of disease varies during different phases after floods and after storms is essential in order to guide a medical response, but it has not been well-described. The objective of this review was to elucidate the health problems following flood and storm disasters.
Methods: A literature search of the databases Medline (US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, Maryland USA); Cinahl (EBSCO Information Services; Ipswich, Massachusetts USA); Global Health (EBSCO Information Services; Ipswich, Massachusetts USA); Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters; New York, New York USA); Embase (Elsevier; Amsterdam, Netherlands); and PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, Maryland USA) was conducted in June 2015 for English-language research articles on morbidity or mortality and flood or storm disasters. Articles on mental health, interventions, and rescue or health care workers were excluded. Data were extracted from articles that met the eligibility criteria and analyzed by narrative synthesis.
Results: The review included 113 studies. Poisonings, wounds, gastrointestinal infections, and skin or soft tissue infections all increased after storms. Gastrointestinal infections were more frequent after floods. Leptospirosis and diabetes-related complications increased after both. The majority of changes occurred within four weeks of floods or storms.
Conclusion: Health changes differently after floods and after storms. There is a lack of data on the health effects of floods alone, long-term changes in health, and the strength of the association between disasters and health problems. This review highlights areas of consideration for medical response and the need for high-quality, systematic research in this area. (Less)
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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
volume
32
issue
5
pages
568 - 579
publisher
World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine
external identifiers
  • scopus:85020715990
ISSN
1049-023X
DOI
10.1017/S1049023X17006574
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
1e2fbb74-5a12-49ef-bf04-c2eddea2178a
date added to LUP
2022-04-07 14:19:22
date last changed
2024-02-28 12:14:39
@article{1e2fbb74-5a12-49ef-bf04-c2eddea2178a,
  abstract     = {{Introduction How the burden of disease varies during different phases after floods and after storms is essential in order to guide a medical response, but it has not been well-described. The objective of this review was to elucidate the health problems following flood and storm disasters.<br/>Methods: A literature search of the databases Medline (US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, Maryland USA); Cinahl (EBSCO Information Services; Ipswich, Massachusetts USA); Global Health (EBSCO Information Services; Ipswich, Massachusetts USA); Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters; New York, New York USA); Embase (Elsevier; Amsterdam, Netherlands); and PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, Maryland USA) was conducted in June 2015 for English-language research articles on morbidity or mortality and flood or storm disasters. Articles on mental health, interventions, and rescue or health care workers were excluded. Data were extracted from articles that met the eligibility criteria and analyzed by narrative synthesis.<br/>Results: The review included 113 studies. Poisonings, wounds, gastrointestinal infections, and skin or soft tissue infections all increased after storms. Gastrointestinal infections were more frequent after floods. Leptospirosis and diabetes-related complications increased after both. The majority of changes occurred within four weeks of floods or storms.<br/>Conclusion: Health changes differently after floods and after storms. There is a lack of data on the health effects of floods alone, long-term changes in health, and the strength of the association between disasters and health problems. This review highlights areas of consideration for medical response and the need for high-quality, systematic research in this area.}},
  author       = {{Saulnier, Dell and Brolin Ribacke, Kim and von Schreeb, Johan}},
  issn         = {{1049-023X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{568--579}},
  publisher    = {{World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine}},
  series       = {{Prehospital and Disaster Medicine}},
  title        = {{No calm after the storm: A systematic review of human health following flood and storm disasters}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X17006574}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S1049023X17006574}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}