Planning for biological disasters. Occupational health nurses as "first responders"

1. As a result of recent terrorist events, there is an immediate need for occupational nurses to review their disaster plans and to develop strategies to cope with bioterrorism in their workplaces. 2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified three major categories of biological weapons. Category A, which is the highest priority category (and the focus of this article), includes smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, filoviruses, and adenoviruses. Dealing with bioterrorism requires occupational health nurses to be familiar with these organisms, including their pathophysiology and methods of prevention, detection, and treatment. 3. Five principles can be used to guide responses to a biological attack. Incorporation of these principles into disaster planning will increase the effectiveness of responses to bioterrorism, if and when it occurs. Developing a plan of action before an event occurs will greatly enhance the likelihood that the repercussions of such an event are minimized.