“Attendees have told us that they found the training very useful, particularly because of the unique injury patterns they encounter after blast events,” said Dr. Kapil. “They also find it helpful for planning and systems issues in terms of anticipating system needs, such as managing crowds and challenges related to surge capacity.”

The CDC has received multiple requests for additional training, particularly after the recent events in Mumbai. “We’re working closely with our partners in India on how best to respond to those requests, as well as on building capacity in India to conduct this training in the future,” said Dr. Kapil. “We want to make the materials as easily accessible as possible.”

Dr. Sanjeev Bhoi knows firsthand the chaos and panic that follow a bombing or explosion. He participated in an October 2008 blast injury workshop conducted by the CDC in Pune and Vadodara, India, and has since begun conducting regular seminars on bomb blasts in his emergency department.

“Terrorism is a global problem that we must live with, and, as a result, it’s imperative that we learn about bomb blast injuries,” said Dr. Bhoi, an assistant professor and director of emergency medicine at the J.P. Narayan Apex Trauma Center of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a 2,300-bed premier hospital and research center in New Delhi, India.

“The training helped me to distinguish various types of injury due to primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary impacts,” he added. “It also provided insight on the correlation between the extent of injury; type of blast, such as low or high intensity; and closed- versus open-space events.”

“This is about preparing for what many say is a ‘predictable surprise,’ ” said Dr. Hunt, “and there is definite merit in assuring that emergency physicians have working knowledge about this.”

For more information and resources related to the treatment of blast injuries, please visit www.emergency.cdc.gov/blastinjuries or www.acep.org/blastinjury. The podcast “Blast Injuries: What Clinicians Need to Know” is available at www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=10224.