Annals of the M.B.C. - vol. 1° - n° 1 - September 1987

This is the updated edition of WHO's authoritative report on the health and medical implications of thermonuclear war. Prepared by 14 world experts and based on all scientific and impartial assessment, the book concludes that the medical resources and services of any country would be totally inadequate to meet the needs arising from nuclear war. Prcvention is the only medicine against such a disaster. For the unconvinced as well as the convinced, this book should be obligatory reading.
It is significant that since the first edition of this study, much has been added to our knowledge on the importance of fires in nuclear war. Indeed it is now evident that superfires are the greatest cause of mortality and morbidity following thermonuclear conflict, as this report to the World Health Assembly shows.

Published in Arabic, English, French. Also in Chinese, Spanish and Russian.

The Spring 1988 issue of this Joiirnal, published by the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO, Geneva), has a special "Dossier" on forest fires.
While burn surgeons are tragically aware of the human cost of forest fires, ICDO underlines the havoc that these disasters cause and promotes the means that must be employed to prevent and combat them.
The anti-fire programme of six countries - Algeria, China, France, Italy, Spain and the United States - is described, showing different approaches to a similar problem. This useful report app~,-ars in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Le numéro de printemps 1988 de cette Revue publiée par l'Organisation Internationale de Protection Civile (OIPC, Genève), présente un "Dossier" sur les incendies de forêts. Les chirurgiens des brûlés connaissent bien le coût tragique de ces catastrophes, I'OIPC s'attache à souligner les dommages énormes que ces désastres entraînent et de promouvoir les moyens de les prévenir et de les combattre.
Le programme de six pays différents - Algérie, Chine, Espagne, Etats Unis, France et Italie - est détaillé, montrant les approches différentes au même problème. Ce très utile rapport est publié en Anglais, Arabe, Espagnol et Français.

Disaster Medicine is in the process of defining its field and establishing the standards of competence necessary to practise it as a specialty. Valuable basic and applied studies are now being published in several periodicals specialized in major emergencies, but an authoritative book, conceptualizing the field and bringing together the many medical and health activities concerned, has been long overdue.
Peter Baskett, longtime the pillar of the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine, and Robin Weller of the British Association for Immediate Care, have brought together an impressive list of 33 contributors, all experienced in their respective fields of disaster management. Their work has resulted in a well integrated and most useful book which should help anyone - doctor, nurse, manager, administrator or field worker - meet the divers and difficult needs of coping with natural and man-made catastrophes with more assurance.
For bums surgeons the chapters on triage, severe multi-trauma, patient evacuation, dispersal, and air and chemical emergencies will be particularly interesting.
This book is destined to become the standard work in English in the specialty and it is highly recommended not only to health professionals but also to the many from interrelated disciplines that are involved in disaster management.