Military medicine
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Most of the facial trauma in the United States is treated in trauma centers in large urban or university medical centers, with limited trauma care taking place in our military medical treatment facilities. In many cases, active duty facial trauma surgeons may lack the current experience necessary for the optimal care of facial wounds of our inquired military personnel in the early stages of the conflict. ⋯ These "trauma-current" reservists may act as a cadre of practiced surgeons to aid those with less experience. A plan for refresher training of active duty facial trauma surgeons is presented.
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32 Field Hospital was one of two forward British field hospitals deployed during the 1990-1991 Gulf War in northern Saudi Arabia. We describe the use of Battlefield Trauma Life Support (BATLS), a military derivation of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) as used in the hospital's resuscitation department and discuss the application of ATLS principles in the military environment. Teaching BATLS to doctors, nurses, and combat medical technicians provided a common system for all department members to work toward. This proved to be an efficient system for horizontal casualty management by a trauma team of three people.