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Scott Lillibridge

Publications and source records attributed to Scott Lillibridge.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Houston biosecurity: building a national model.

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed an atrocity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, another act of savagery occurred, this time using anthrax, not airplanes, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Two years later, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. Every city is vulnerable to an attack, and none are fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. We will discuss the protective measures that have been put in place in Houston, and future steps to take. Other cities can model Houston's experience to develop similar plans nation-wide.

Bioterrorism↗
PubMed2003

Cybercare NDMs: an improved strategy for biodefense using information technologies.

The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) was created in the early 1980's, and it was designed to meet the threats of the time. Today the threats are much less discreet and predictable. They are distributed; they move and spread quickly; and they walk silently among us. Specifically, biological agents are an enemy unlike any we have had to deal with before. They offer unique challenges that fly in the face of current doctrine. We must redesign the NDMS in order to contain and eliminate this new threat. Tools exist today capable of effectively coordinating distributed resources--even through containment borders. We need to strengthen our public health system, create a net-centric disaster management system, and blur the boundaries between local and federal resources. Ultimately we must move from an incremental, echelon-based response to an immediate, continuous response. This can be accomplished by adding inexpensive, well-established information technologies to the existing response system.

Bioterrorism↗
PubMed2002

Hemorrhagic fever viruses as biological weapons: medical and public health management.

OBJECTIVE: To develop consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals if hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) are used as biological weapons against a civilian population. PARTICIPANTS: The Working Group on Civilian Biodefense included 26 representatives from academic medical centers, public health, military services, governmental agencies, and other emergency management institutions. EVIDENCE: MEDLINE was searched from January 1966 to January 2002. Retrieved references, relevant material published prior to 1966, and additional sources identified by participants were reviewed. CONSENSUS PROCESS: Three formal drafts of the statement that synthesized information obtained in the evidence-gathering process were reviewed by the working group. Each draft incorporated comments and judgments of the members. All members approved the final draft. CONCLUSIONS: Weapons disseminating a number of HFVs could cause an outbreak of an undifferentiated febrile illness 2 to 21 days later, associated with clinical manifestations that could include rash, hemorrhagic diathesis, and shock. The mode of transmission and clinical course would vary depending on the specific pathogen. Diagnosis may be delayed given clinicians' unfamiliarity with these diseases, heterogeneous clinical presentation within an infected cohort, and lack of widely available diagnostic tests. Initiation of ribavirin therapy in the early phases of illness may be useful in treatment of some of these viruses, although extensive experience is lacking. There are no licensed vaccines to treat the diseases caused by HFVs.

Aerosols↗
PubMedDate not supplied

New developments in health and medical preparedness related to the threat of terrorism.

Since 1999, and particularly the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the federal government has sought to prepare against the threat of bioterrorism by developing a comprehensive national "preparedness and response" program that encompasses state and local health agencies. In fiscal year 1999, approximately $150 million was made available through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to develop bioterrorism preparedness and response infrastructure in public health departments. Emergency medical services (EMS) funding was not specifically considered in this DHHS program, primarily because EMS is usually funded through traditional first-responder programs in other departments of the U.S. government. This approach may be effective in addressing some EMS needs, but it is insufficient for enhancing the emergency medical infrastructure throughout this country or for linking emergency public health and emergency medical prehospital initiatives. The role of EMS is shifting. As EMS in the future will be expected to be more comprehensive and encompass the urgent aspects of public health preparedness and response, more resources must be applied to the medical control units of EMS systems so that they may provide the most benefit to the public health and medical system. Emergency medical systems and their leadership are poised to play a critical role in national preparedness against bioterrorism. Preparedness funding within the health sector will continue to expand markedly in the near future. However, a well-developed strategy will be necessary to sustain the best linkage between EMS, hospital preparedness, and public health preparedness at the local, state, and federal levels.

Bioterrorism↗