Military medicine
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Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been proven in numerous studies to decrease the time interval from cardiac arrest to defibrillation, thus improving the survival rate for victims of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, the most common causes of reversible sudden cardiac death. Recent Department of Defense initiatives have mandated increased participation of Federal Fire Service units in the conduct of prehospital emergency medical care on military and other federal installations. ⋯ S. military installation under the medical direction of that installation's medical treatment facility. This "first step" in the integration of Federal Fire Services into emergency medical care, as well as potential future military applications for AEDs, are discussed.
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Comparative Study
Acute pain management services: a comparison between Air Force and U.S. hospitals.
The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the prevalence of acute pain management services (APMS) in Air Force medical facilities. There are no published reports on the current status of Air Force pain programs. This study used a telephone survey to all facilities worldwide that house an anesthesia department. ⋯ S. hospitals (42%). Formal pain programs are becoming more prevalent in Air Force hospitals. These findings suggest an increased awareness of the need for pain management and future establishment of pain programs.
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A total of 865 members of the U. S. military underwent repair of Achilles tendon ruptures at U. S. military hospitals during calendar years 1994, 1995, and 1996. ⋯ Participation in the game of basketball accounted for 64.9% of all injuries in black patients and 34.0% of all injuries in nonblack patients. Among those injured, blacks had a significantly increased risk for injury related to playing basketball than nonblacks (relative risk = 1.82, CI = 1.58, 2.10). This finding suggests that there may be other predisposing factor(s) that result in a higher risk of Achilles tendon ruptures in black individuals.