Disaster Medicine

Millions of people every day face disasters, for example, typhoons, terrorist attacks, earthquakes, famine, civil wars, explosions, and tornadoes. Disaster is defined as every event that causes serious disruption which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. Disasters are usually categorized as natural or man-made and are described using a series of steps called the disaster cycle, defined in four phases: mitigation and prevention, preparedness and planning, response, and recovery. Disaster medicine is an emerging specialty that integrates the medical response to disaster with the systems of disaster management.