[Medical and psychological problems relating to emergency shelters in case of war]

Modern warfare requires protection of the entire civilian population, and a main feature of Swiss planning is the provision of adequate shelter space for every inhabitant. The medical and psychologic problems of prolonged shelter living are considered, with reference to the literature on experience in other countries. The study centers on description of a shelter occupancy experiment. 25 men with an average age of 37 years spent 7 days in a closed shelter during the hottest part of the year. Floor space was 1.2 m2 and room volume 2.5 m3 per person. The experiment revealed that in-shelter climatic conditions remained tolerable. Initially several members of the group suffered from insomnia and nausea, while sleep disturbances, headache and gastrointestinal symptoms also occurred in the course of the stay. Daily self-rating of condition with appropriate scales showed a positive correlation of "irritability" with air humidity and a negative correlation of "vitality" with room temperature. Good shelter management and a trained leader are essential prerequisites for prolonged shelter occupancy.