The major incident – definitions and demands on the health care system -- Major incidents: Examples and experiences -- The prehospital response -- Triage -- The hospital response -- Management of dead victims -- Incidents caused by physical trauma -- Incidents caused by fire and toxic gases -- Incidents in cold and wet environments -- Incidents caused by hazardous material -- Incidents caused by irradiation -- Infectious diseases and biological weapons -- Incidents caused by changes in nature and climate -- Combat casualty management -- Terrorist attacks on the civilian community -- Scoring systems related to outcome in severe injuries -- Psychological crisis support in major incidents -- Education  and training -- Methodological development and research.

Disaster medicine is constantly gaining in importance owing to the impact of a variety of trends, including the rising global population, increased levels of travel, increasing production and transport of hazardous material, the development of global terrorism, and the increasing likelihood of disasters due to climatic changes. Additional skills are needed to respond effectively to the emergencies that arise from these developments, yet the available textbooks are mainly theoretical and provide limited practical advice and few methodological guidelines.   This book, written by members of the core faculty responsible for European courses on Medical Response to Major Incidents (MRMI), is designed to redress the balance by providing a practical guide that covers the full range of disaster scenarios and is relevant to all medical staff. It combines within one comprehensive volume, in an easily accessible format, the entire spectrum of knowledge from command and coordination through to the management of individual casualties. Central importance is attached to the key component of decision making by explaining what needs to be done for patients in particular situations and the required order and timing of treatment measures. Simplified methods receive due attention, as it is often necessary for medical staff to administer primary treatment outside of their own specialty. This book will prove an invaluable aid to all who may be involved in the response to major accidents and disasters, including medical and nursing students, ambulance crew, and military personnel as well as medical specialists.