The World Trade Center attack - Lessons for all aspects of health care

The attack on the World Trade Center had the potential to overwhelm New Yor k's health services. Sadly, however, the predicted thousands of treatable p atients failed to materialize. Horror and sadness has now been replaced by anger, fear, and the determination to be better prepared next time. This de termination not only exists in politics but also in health care, and as wit h all attempts to enforce change there needs to be a period of collecting o pinions and data. This article introduces nine reviews in Critical Care off ering varied health care perspectives of the events of 11 September 2001 fr om people who were there and from experts in disaster management.