ER not ready for bioterror

Doctors in hospital emergency departments don’t have the expertise to cope with the aftermath of a bioterrorist attack, a survey suggests. ER specialists at Boston Children’s Hospital tested their colleagues around the city to see if they could diagnose and manage anthrax, smallpox, plague and the like. The average test score was just 44 per cent, they told a paediatrics conference in Baltimore this week. ER physicians need easy access to bioterrorism information and training tailored to their needs, say the Boston researchers.