ABSTRACT
America's experience on September 11, 2001, forms the backdrop of this review of the public health nursing role in bioterrorism preparedness. The risks and challenges to the public health infrastructure are reviewed in order to place bioterrorism preparedness in a public health context. A review of the literature provides background material on the extent to which public health has evolved in planning for a bioterrorism event. The skills and competencies that will prepare public health nurses in their planning for and response to threats of bioterrorism are addressed. Anthrax is used as an example to illustrate how public health nursing can assist in a bioterrorism response.
Subject(s)
Nursing Faculty Practice/trends , Public Health Nursing/methods , Public Health Nursing/trends , Anthrax/nursing , Bioterrorism , Disaster Planning/methods , Disaster Planning/trends , Humans , Information Dissemination/methods , Nurse's RoleABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To provide nurse practitioners (NPs) with a basic understanding of clinical presentation, transmission, diagnosis, pharmacological treatment, and post-exposure prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax. DATA SOURCES: Selected research and clinical articles and government guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Inhalational anthrax has an incubation period of 1 to 6 days and is very difficult to diagnose early. The chest radiograph consistently reveals a widened mediastinum and pleural effusion without infiltrates. Mortality for inhalational anthrax is high, despite aggressive treatment after onset of symptoms. Delays in diagnosis contribute to the high mortality rate. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The potential use of aerosolized anthrax as a biological warfare weapon has renewed interest in inhalational anthrax. Primary care providers are cornerstones in the defense against biological weapons because they may be the first to recognize and report suspicious cases.
