Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40337789›Full record

ArticleDisaster medicine and public health preparedness2025

Civilian Sheltering Guidelines for Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas: A Scoping Review.

Alexandra Christine Hansen, Elsara Badri, Mohamad Almalla, Aparna Cheran, Wael ElRayes, Taylor Jacoby, David Mockler, Bonface Massah, Adam L Kushner, Jack Denny and 1 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Alexandra Christine HansenExplosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (EXTRACCT), International Blast Injury Research Network, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Elsara BadriExplosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (EXTRACCT), International Blast Injury Research Network, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Mohamad AlmallaWorld Food Programme Country Office South Sudan, Jebel Kujur Office, Juba, South Sudan.
Aparna CheranExplosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (EXTRACCT), International Blast Injury Research Network, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Wael ElRayesDepartment of Health Services Research and Administration. Center for Global Health and Development, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Taylor JacobyTrinity College Dublin, School of Medicine, Dublin 2, Ireland.
David MocklerThe Library of Trinity College, The University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Bonface MassahMalawi Human Rights Commission, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Adam L KushnerSurgeons Overseas, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7797-4837
Jack DennySchool of Engineering, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17, 1BJ, UK.
Hannah B WildExplosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (EXTRACCT), International Blast Injury Research Network, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0974-0956

Funding

Research Mentoring and Building Capacity of underrepresented Minority Research Scientists in India.D43TW010540 · FIC · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI MICHELE BARRY, Eva Harris · 2017 to 2026
$15.5M
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW010540
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) has a disproportionate impact on civilians. Many humanitarian organizations utilize varying sheltering guidelines to recommend safe positions for civilians affected by explosive threats. It is not known whether these recommendations are standardized or derived from evidence. This study aimed to identify existing recommendations and potential gaps in literature relevant to sheltering guidelines for civilians during explosive events.

methodsA scoping review was conducted of the literature including indexed databases and grey literature to identify reports that described sheltering guidelines for civilians during explosive events. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) methodology was followed.

resultsThe search identified 3582 peer-reviewed records. After title/abstract and full text screening, only 2 peer-reviewed reports remained eligible. These were combined with 13 gray literature reports obtained from humanitarian organizations and internet searches. The peer-reviewed reports included mine and unexploded ordnance guidelines, not guidelines for EWIPA or aerial bombardments. There is a substantial knowledge gap and heterogeneity in existing sheltering guidelines from explosive events, particularly those appropriate for protection from EWIPA.

conclusionsFindings from this scoping review demonstrate a need for the creation and standardization of evidence-based civilian sheltering guidelines to mitigate the threat of explosive weapons to civilians in conflict.

Indexed as

ExplosionsWeaponsDisaster PlanningGuidelines as TopicHumansdisaster preparednessexplosive weapons in populated areasinjury preventionprotection of civilians in conflictsheltering positions

Identifiers

PMID40337789
PMCPMC13380859

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.