Are Saudi Arabian hospitals prepared for the threat of biological weapons?

Abstract

The use of biological weapons has been recorded repeatedly in history. Until recently, biological terrorism had been little discussed or written about. However, events over the past 12 to 18 months have made it clear that likely perpetrators already envisage every possible scenario. Nations and dissident groups exist that have both the motivation and access to utilize biological weapons. In April 1994, a Russian biological weapons expert presented the conclusions of the Russian experts as to the agents most likely to be used: smallpox, anthrax, and plague. Health care workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (physicians, nurses, and emergency medical technicians) need to be aware of the seriousness of the threat of biological weapons, and to have an approach for the early identification, triage, and management of biological weapons victims. Clues to the occurrence of a bioterrorism attack include the abrupt onset of a large number of cases of a similar disease or syndrome, the occurrence of diseases with unusual geographic or seasonal distribution, and epidemics of non-endemic diseases. Health care workers must maintain a high index of suspicion, involve the hospital epidemiologist or infectious diseases specialist, identify a clear administrative chain-of-command to minimize confusion, and rely on existing networks such as the hospital disaster-and-safety committee to ensure a multidisciplinary response. Maximum readiness can be achieved by periodic readiness drills.