Tracking antimicrobials dispensed during an anthrax attack: A case study from the New Hampshire anthrax exercise

Authors

  • Jeanne Tropper, MS, MPH
  • Chris Adamski, RN, MSN
  • Cynthia Vinion, MEA
  • Sanjeeb Sapkota, MBBS, MPH

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2011.0047

Keywords:

anthrax, antimicrobials, informatics, tracking, monitoring, countermeasures

Abstract

The Countermeasure and Response Administration (CRA) system is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informatics application developed to track countermeasures, including medical interventions (eg, vaccinations and pharmaceuticals) and nonmedical interventions (eg, patient isolation, quarantine, and personal protective equipment), administered during a public health response. This case study follows the use of CRA as a supplement to paper-based processes during an exercise in which antimicrobials dispensed to individual exposed persons were captured after a simulated bioterrorist attack of anthrax spores. The exercise was conducted by the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services on April 14, 2007.
Automated systems like CRA can track when medications are dispensed. The data can then be used for performance metrics, statistics, and in locating victims for follow-up study. Given that this case study was limited to a single location in a relatively rural setting, the authors concluded that more study is needed to compare the feasibility of using an automated system rather than paper-based processes for effectively managing a very large-scale urgent public health response.

Author Biographies

Jeanne Tropper, MS, MPH

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Promotion (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia.

Chris Adamski, RN, MSN

Division of Public Health Services, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, New Hampshire.

Cynthia Vinion, MEA

Northrop Grumman Corporation (Contracted to CDC), Atlanta Georgia.

Sanjeeb Sapkota, MBBS, MPH

Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

References

Nelson C, Chan E, Chandra A, et al.: Recommended Infrastructure Standards for Mass Antibiotic Dispensing. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2008.

Department of Homeland Security: National Preparedness Guidelines; September 2007. Available at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/ assets/National_Preparedness_Guidelines.pdf. Accessed March 18, 2010.

Folio LR, Lahti RL, Cockrum DS, et al.: Initial experience with mass immunization as a bioterrorism countermeasure. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2004; 104(6): 240-243.

Brandeau ML, Hutton DW, Owens DK, et al.: Planning the bioterrorism response supply chain: Learn and live. Am J Disaster Med. 2007; 2(5): 231-247.

Tropper J, Shimabukuro T, Sapkota S, et al.: CDC’s Countermeasure and Response Administration system for monitoring H1N1 vaccine doses administered. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009; 3 (Suppl): 107-108.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: After Action Report, Maryland Statewide Pandemic Influenza Exercise, Office of Preparedness and Responses; January 2009. Available at http://bioterrorism.dhmh.state.md.us/Documents/AfterActionRe ports/Maryland2008StatewidePanFluExerciseSummaryAndAfter ActionReport.pdf. Accessed August 21, 2010.

Published

01/01/2011

How to Cite

Tropper, MS, MPH, J., C. Adamski, RN, MSN, C. Vinion, MEA, and S. Sapkota, MBBS, MPH. “Tracking Antimicrobials Dispensed During an Anthrax Attack: A Case Study from the New Hampshire Anthrax Exercise”. Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 9, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 65-69, doi:10.5055/jem.2011.0047.