James Mills Jr., MD, a founder of emergency medicine, believed he could have greater impact on medical care for the poor in his city by giving up his practice and working in the emergency room full time.
When responding to an overseas disaster, it is imperative that physicians and organizations match services and donations to the specific needs of the situation, avoid the duplication of efforts, behave with humility toward the host country, and approach all efforts collaboratively.
During disasters and mass casualties, point-of-care ultrasound makes it possible to diagnose thoraco-abdominal injuries rapidly and accurately, offers a tool for procedure guidance, and has streamlined patient triage.