Excluded but not forgotten: Veterinary emergency care during emergencies and disasters

Authors

  • Niels D. Martin, MD
  • Jose L. Pascual, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM, FRCSC
  • Julie Hirsch, CVT, VTS(ECC)
  • Daniel N. Holena, MD, MCSE
  • Lewis J. Kaplan, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2020.0352

Keywords:

disaster care, veterinary medicine, preparedness, public health, bioethics

Abstract

Background: Disasters or crises impact humans, pets, and service animals alike. Current preparation at the federal, state, and local level focuses on preserving human life. Hospitals, shelters, and other human care facilities generally make few to no provisions for companion care nor service animal care as part of their disaster management plan. Abandoned animals have infectious disease, safety and psychologic impact on owners, rescue workers, and those involved in reclamation efforts. Animals working as first responder partners may be injured or exposed to biohazards and require care.

Data sources: English language literature available via PubMed as well as lay press publications on emergency care, veterinary care, disaster management, disasters, biohazards, infection, zoonosis, bond-centered care, preparedness, bioethics, and public health. No year restrictions were set.

Conclusions: Human clinician skills share important overlaps with veterinary clinician skills; similar overlaps occur in medical and surgical emergency care. These commonalities offer the potential to craft-specific and disaster or crisis-deployable skills to care for humans, pets (dogs and cats), service animals (dogs and miniature horses) and first-responder partners (dogs) as part of national disaster healthcare preparedness. Such a platform could leverage the skills and resources of the existing US trauma system to underpin such a program.

Author Biographies

Niels D. Martin, MD

Program Director, Trauma & Surgical Critical Care Fellowship; Section Chief, Surgical Critical Care; Associate Professor, Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jose L. Pascual, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM, FRCSC

Associate Professor, Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia, Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Julie Hirsch, CVT, VTS(ECC)

Education Coordinator/Medical Liaison, North Penn Animal Hospital, Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Daniel N. Holena, MD, MCSE

Associate Professor, Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia, Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lewis J. Kaplan, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP

Professor of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Published

01/01/2020

How to Cite

Martin, MD, N. D., J. L. Pascual, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM, FRCSC, J. Hirsch, CVT, VTS(ECC), D. N. Holena, MD, MCSE, and L. J. Kaplan, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP. “Excluded But Not Forgotten: Veterinary Emergency Care During Emergencies and Disasters”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 25-31, doi:10.5055/ajdm.2020.0352.

Issue

Section

Review Articles

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