Evaluating Awareness and Knowledge of Bioterrorism in Anesthesia Providers

Bioterrorism education for healthcare providers is minimal despite the strong potential that biological agents will be employed by countries or extremist groups to threaten, immobilize, or kill American military and civilian populations. Many physicians and advance nurse practitioners, including anesthesia providers, are unaware of the plausibility of an attack and lack the clinical knowledge regarding diagnosis, preventative and definitive treatment options, available resources, and personal safety requirements. A three-hour didactic seminar reviewing selected biological agents, risk factors, and safety was held for 14 anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists at a rural community hospital. A pre-seminar questionnaire established the provider's baseline knowledge and awareness and was compared to the post-seminar questionnaire results to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational session. Keywords: bioterrorism, education, physician, nurses, anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist.