Terror Medicine: Source and Evolution

The surge in mass casualty terror attacks during the first decade of the 21st century presented a special challenge for health organizations. Unique types of injury resulting from these Mass Casualty Events called for special capabilities to restore the balance between immediate demands and scarce resources. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), to both victims and healthcare providers and first responders required extra knowledge and early intervention. All these and the concerns of the possibilities of non-conventional weapons terror attacks, led to the defining of “Terror Medicine”, a new medical field. This field evolves the medical macro management of terror attacks, the focused clinical management of the specific injuries and coping with the aftermath consequences. The scope of Terror Medicine is: Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. The evolution and trends of Terror Medicine is discussed in this article.