Mass-casualty incidents (MCI) are a highly important issue in disaster medicine today. In this context, professional first responders play a fundamental role as they provide preparedness and initial care to the injured. The aim of this review is to describe the form and impact of different didactic concepts in triage exercises to prepare for an MCI response.

A Scoping review search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Medline, and Psyndex as an initial examination of this topic.

Seventeen studies were included in this review. Of the reviewed studies, 52.9% followed a randomized controlled trial design with pre-post intervention measurement. The interventions implemented in the studies were associated with an increase in knowledge and/or practical skills. Of media-based interventions, 42.9% show a comparable and 57.1% greater training effect than conventional teaching methods. According to 4 studies, technical and non-technical aids increase the triage accuracy.

The benefits of media-based interventions and of technical and non-technical aids should be evaluated by a subsequent systematic review with a broader database and search terms of studies. The differences between different triage algorithms need to be investigated in future studies. It must be noted that intervention is preferable to non-intervention.

As temperatures globally continue to rise, sporting events such as marathons will take place on warmer days, increasing the risk of exertional heat stroke (EHS).

The medical librarian developed and executed comprehensive searches in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. Relevant keywords were selected. The results underwent title, abstract, and full text screening in a web-based tool called Covidence, and were analyzed for pertinent data.

A total of 3918 results were retrieved. After duplicate removal and title, abstract, and full text screening, 38 articles remained for inclusion. There were 22 case reports, 12 retrospective reviews, and 4 prospective observational studies. The races included half marathons, marathons, and other long distances. In the case reports and retrospective reviews, the mean environmental temperatures were 21.3°C and 19.8°C, respectively. Discussions emphasized that increasing environmental temperatures result in higher incidences of EHS.

With rising global temperatures from climate change, athletes are at higher risk of EHS. Early ice water immersion is the best treatment for EHS. Earlier start times and cooling stations for races may mitigate incidences of EHS. Future work needs to concentrate on the establishment of EHS prevention and mitigation protocols.