The ARMIHN project focused mainly on improving the ability of rescue forces, ports and health authorities to act in the event of a mass casualty in a port or aboard a ship. Europe has seen several outbreaks of serious infectious diseases in international travel in recent years. Cruise ships could potentially become targets of terrorist attacks using biological weapons, especially as ports link sea and land. Now, a novel, digital approach to simplifying the triage of casualties is proving groundbreaking and gives rescue workers and paramedics urgently-needed information quickly. The IT application developed as part of ARMIHN captures the situation on the ground and helps medical staff decide on further treatment. The triaging algorithm provides an electronically retrievable overview of the number and condition of infectious patients. That simplifies communication between all those involved and eases the planning and co-ordination of available emergency forces and materials.
