Waterman Brian R, Schoenfeld Andrew J, Holland Courtney A, Goodman Gens P, Belmont Philip J
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, TX 79920-5001, USA.
J Surg Orthop Adv. 2011 Spring;20(1):23-9.
Disasters, both man-made and natural, are a known cause of morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations. The initial phase of public health response typically addresses immediate traumatic injury or death in the wake of a disaster. However, little is known about the magnitude and cost of subsequent nontraumatic injury and illness in disaster zones. Known as ``the hidden epidemic,'' the incidence and epidemiology of disease and nonbattle injuries among military service members in deployed settings has been more extensively investigated and may serve as a proxy for the evaluation of civilian populations following natural disaster. Further, prior reports from the military setting may serve to inform the broader population on the ultimate burden of nontraumatic injury and illness in recent disasters, particularly as they relate to musculoskeletal health.
人为和自然灾害都是弱势群体发病和死亡的已知原因。公共卫生应对的初始阶段通常处理灾难发生后立即出现的创伤性损伤或死亡。然而，对于灾区随后发生的非创伤性损伤和疾病的规模及成本，我们知之甚少。在部署环境中的军人中，疾病和非战斗损伤的发病率及流行病学被称为“隐性流行病”，已得到更广泛的研究，可作为评估自然灾害后平民人口的一个参照。此外，来自军事环境的先前报告可能有助于让更广泛的人群了解近期灾难中非创伤性损伤和疾病的最终负担，特别是与肌肉骨骼健康相关的负担。
