emergencyuse

Emergencyuse is a term used to describe the use of a product, procedure, or resource in an emergency context where standard approvals, protocols, or supply chains are unavailable or insufficient. It encompasses decisions made under time pressure to protect life, health, or safety, and may apply to medicine, medical devices, software, infrastructure, or operational procedures. The concept emphasizes that the action is provisional, monitored, and subject to review once normal conditions return.

In healthcare, emergency use often involves regulatory pathways that allow access to unapproved or not fully evaluated products during public health emergencies. Examples include emergency use authorizations or compassionate use programs, which balance potential benefits against known risks and typically require informed consent and ongoing oversight. In disaster response, emergency-use protocols enable improvised or temporary measures to restore essential functions, such as shelter, water treatment, or communications, while longer-term solutions are pursued.

Ethical and governance considerations include transparency, equity of access, data collection, liability, and post-emergency assessment. Decisions are usually guided by risk-benefit analyses, emergency planning frameworks, and sector-specific regulations. Limitations include uncertainties about safety and efficacy, incomplete data, and the risk of prolonging dependence on a provisional solution.

See also: emergency management, compassionate use, off-label use, regulatory expediency, triage, disaster medicine.