Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters - vol. XIII - n. 2 - June 2000

BOOK REVIEWS

Les Brûlures
Serge Baux, 186 pages, 8 Ill, 59F
Collections Overture Medicale
Hermann Editeurs the Sciences et des Arts, 2000. 59 F
ISBN 2 7056 6364 9

Près de 90 % des brûlures correspondent à l'effet du feu ou de la chaleur sur la peau et les organes. Affections complexes, elles recouvrent une grande variété de lésions, d'étendue et dé profondeur éminemment variables, donc de gravité et d'évolution très diverses. Lésion locale, la brûlure peut avoir un retentissement général considérable, affectant toutes les fonctions physiologiques. Sa cicatrisation, encore, mal maîtrisée, impose la réparation de séquelles en faisant appel à la dermatologie, à la rééducation, à la médecine thermale, à la chirurgie plastique, ceci en tenant compte des problèmes psychologiques associés.
Cet ouvrage présente un modèle pour comprendre l'évolution d'une brûlure et les principes de son traitement. Au-delà des diverses classifications des brûlures, il décrit les moyens concourant à la survie et à la cicatrisation des brûlés, de façon à ce que puissent être comprises par tous les actions menées aussi bien dans les centres de brûlés pour les cas graves qu'ailleurs pour des lésions plus légères.

 

NEW WHO BOOK

 

NEW EDITION

THE MANAGEMENT OF NUTRITION IN MAJOR EMERGENCIES

Available on request from Marketing and Dissemination,
World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
The price of the book is Sw. fr. 72 (US $ 64.80),
in developing countries Sw. fr. 50.40


All major emergencies, by definition, threaten human life and public health. They often result in food shortages, impair the nutritional status of a community, and cause excess mortality in all age groups. Nutrition is, therefore, a key public health concern in emergency management. VMO's newly updated Management of Nutrition in Major Emergencies is intended to help health, nutrition and other professionals involved in the management of major emergencies that have nutritional implications, whether at local, national or international level. It reflects scientific and conceptual advances in understanding prevention, causes, and treatment of malnutrition in emergencies. Emergency management is viewed as a multi-sectoral venture; ministries and departments of local government need to plan and work together for emergency prevention, preparedness, response and rehabilitation. Safeguarding the nutritional status of the population also requires a holistic and proactive approach, which implies more than food distribution and health protection. Action is called for in the areas of environment, population, economic and human development, land and water management, production and trade, services, human rights, governance, empowerment and growth of civil society. The book covers the concepts, principles, and precise measures needed to ensure adequate nutrition in both the relief phase and the subsequent rehabilitation and development phases. Details range from a list of the equipment needed for a weight-for-height survey, through a diagram illustrating arrangements for ration distribution in camp situations, to instructions for preparing feeding mixtures for the treatment of specific deficiency diseases. Throughout, particular attention is given to conditions in developing countries, where inadequate nutrition and infectious diseases can make populations especially vulnerable to malnutrition in emergencies. The essential purpose of this manual is to help build national capacities and human resource development within the country. Thus, the manual could be used as a framework for developing teaching modules and training programmes. Food security assessments are not within the scope of the manual. Some topics mentioned in Management of Nutrition in Major Emergencies that would have deserved fuller coverage include:

  • Infant and young child feeding in emergencies1;
  • Validated reference values to interpret anthropometric measurements of children 0-5 months old2; Newly published related VMO publications (also available on request from Marketing and Dissemination):
  • Rapid health assessment protocols for emergencies (1999). Reviewed in Annals, March 2000
  • Community emergency preparedness: a manual for managers and policy-makers (1999)
  • Management of severe malnutrition: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers (1999)

 

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
A MANUAL FOR MANAGERS AND POLICY-MAKERS
Price: Sw. fr. 42
Price in developing countries: Sw. fr. 29.40
ISBN 92 4 154519 4

Natural and man-made disasters - including earthquakes, floods, chemical and nuclear incidents, and warfare+ - occur throughout the world, often without warning. Self-evidently, the extent of the resulting emergency and the toll taken on the health of affected populations and on their social and economic life depend on the nature and severity of the original disastrous event. However, careful forward planning and preparedness to deal with emergencies can significantly reduce numbers of deaths, levels of disease, and general disruption to community life. Any programme of disaster prevention and preparedness should promote optimum coordination between the various governmental, nongovernmental, and private organizations involved. This manual is therefore aimed primarily at local managers and decision-makers in the various sectors, including health, that need to cooperate in the process. It provides an overall view of all aspects of disaster management, including policy development, vulnerability assessment, identification, description, and ranking of potential hazards, analysis of available resources, definition of the roles and responsibilities of different groups and individuals, training, and public education. Guidance on the monitoring and evaluation of preparedness programmes is also included. The emphasis throughout is on action at the community level, since it is local people who are usually first on the scene of any emergency and who have the greatest knowledge of the local environment and potential hazards.



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