A nuclear attack on a major U.S. metropolitan city would be compounded by the loss of hospitals, physicians, nurses, and medical equipment--so what can a city do to prepare for this nightmare scenario? A new report in the American Medical Association’s (AMA) journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness outlines steps a city can take to better prepare for a nuclear attack that would devastate its healthcare system, leaving tens of thousands of burn victims in need of urgent care.
The study, “Prediction Modeling to Determine the Adequacy of Medical Response to Urban Nuclear Attack,” analyzes the effects that a 20- and 550-kiloton nuclear detonation would have on the cities of Los Angeles and Houston. According to the report, a 550-kiloton attack in downtown Los Angeles would result in 786,000 burn victims, with about 185,000 likely to survive. In Houston, a similar attack would produce 257,579 burn casualties, with only about 59,000 likely to survive.
The study outlines necessary improvements for cities to consider to better prepare for an urban nuclear attack, including an expansion of medical personnel (including nonphysicians) who are trained in burn care, and the creation of regional mobilization systems, such as air transport, to move medical resources and personnel in the event of a nuclear attack.
