text: Chapter 4
  Table 4-1. Medical aspects of the operational variables (continued)
  Variable Subvariables Medical aspects
  Social Medical personnel should develop a guide for
  (continued) asking medical questions in the local language
  dialect.
  Information Public communications media. Availability of mass communications enablers for
  • Telephone/cell phones. public health warnings, alerts, and information.
  • Print Media. • Telephones.
  • Broadcast media (TV, radio). • Televisions.
  • Public Webpages. • Radios.
  • Newspapers/periodicals.
  • Computers/e-mail.
  Infrastructure1 Construction pattern. Availability of electricity and potable water.
  Urban zones. Number of medical providers (by category).
  Urbanized building density. Numbers of primary, secondary, and tertiary
  Utilities present. medical treatment facilities.
  Utility level. Status of waste disposal.
  Transportation architecture. Sanitation practices and standards (availability of
  toilets, showers, and bathing facilities).
  Urbanization can increase the spread of infectious
  diseases due to inadequate living space,
  improper ventilation, poor sanitation practices,
  and lowered immunity.
  Accessibility issues (roads [paved and unpaved],
  commercial transportation systems [buses, taxis,
  rail, and air], vehicles and/or pack animals, and
  natural barriers [mountains, streams, jungles, and
  deserts]).
  Availability of transportation assets for medical
  evacuation or other medical purposes in the event
  of natural or man-made disaster or other mass
  casualty situation.
  Physical Terrain Are brick and mortar structures available for use
  environment • *Observation and fields of fire. as medical treatment facilities?
  Climate and weather effects on—
  • *Avenues of approach.
  • Disease vectors.
  • *Key terrain.
  • Categories and types of injuries.
  • *Obstacles.
  • Acclimatization issues pertaining to heat,
  • *Cover and concealment.
  cold, or altitude.
  • Landforms.
  • Medical evacuation operations.
  • Vegetation.