The number of natural and man-made disasters has risen dramatically over the last decade. Natural disasters, industrial accidents and terrorist attacks represent major incidents, often involving multiple casualties. In such cases, health professionals face multiple challenges because the type of medical care required differs from what is taught and provided in their everyday hospital duties. The aim of this book is to inform and prepare healthcare professionals for the challenges posed by major incidents, so that they can act effectively in medical teams sent on humanitarian missions or into conflict zones. It offers a holistic and horizontal approach covering all stages of the disaster management cycle.

The book is divided into 5 sections: section 1: prehospital emergency services; section ii: hospital response; section iii: management of incidents; section iv: after the disaster; and section v: evaluation, ethical issues, education and research.

Healthcare providers will find essential information on the special medical considerations in both prehospital and hospital disaster settings, medical management of disaster response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness. The book offers an interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach, and was written by prominent researchers and experienced practitioners.

Emmanouil Pikoulis is Professor and Chairman of the 3rd Department of Surgery (Attiko Hospital ), School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Since 2016 he is Scientific Director of the MSc "Global Health - Disaster Management" at the same University. He also serves as Adjunct Professor of Surgery at USUHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Dr Pikoulis has a PhD from the School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Diploma in the Medical Care Of Catastrophes diploma (DMCC) from the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, London UK. He is fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and honorary fellow of European Board of Surgery (F.E.B.S.).

His areas of expertise include general and acute surgery, themes that he teaches to medical students, residents, and fellows. He leads a multidisciplinary international network of physicians, other healthcare professionals and social scientists to develop educational curricula and conduct research on acute and disaster medicine and management as well as global health.

He has published more than 160 articles in international peer reviewed journals. In addition to receiving various honors, awards & scholarships, he is a member of numerous societies, committees and scientific organizations. He has presented extensively on topics related to trauma and acute surgery as well as disaster management training both nationally and internationally and he is the editor, co-editor, author and co-author of more than 15 books in the aforementioned scientific fields.

Jay Doucet is Professor and Chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns and Acute Care Surgery at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Doucet is the Medical Director for the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and for Emergency Management at UC San Diego Health. He is Chair of the Disaster Committee of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. He completed his training as a general surgeon in at Dalhousie University in Canada in 1997 and has 22 years of military medical service in the RCAF with six deployments, including three tours in Afghanistan as a combat surgeon with NATO & US forces. He completed his trauma fellowship at the UC San Diego in 2003 and has been a faculty trauma surgeon at the US Navy Trauma Training Center at LA County + University of Southern California Medical Center and Director of the Canadian Forces Trauma Training Center at Vancouver General Hospital/UBC.