Military medicine
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Assorted casualties are expected from combat. Triage of the wounded may result in some going directly to surgery. Although every minute is essential, anesthetic care of these trauma patients must adhere to all established standards of care. ⋯ In the forward, austere military environment, anesthesia providers may experience logistical and manpower constraints when administering anesthesia. In this setting, it may be more even more crucial for preoperative recognition of MH and when this is not possible, focus must shift to perioperative detection and early treatment. The following case report emphasizes the importance of preoperative recognition and having an established MH protocol and access to dantrolene.
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To describe health patterns in evacuated military members during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and utilize demographic, diagnostic, and pre- and postdeployment health information to understand the utility of data collected for aeromedical evacuations. ⋯ Combining data sources increases our understanding of disease patterns in deployed troops. Targeted preventive interventions can then be implemented. Changes in the U.S. Transportation Command's Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System database can improve its utility as an epidemiological tool.
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Literature has generously documented the stress of military members and their families during deployments in noncombat periods. Deployment has been shown to increase the needs of family members for health care, both physical and psychological. The purpose of this study was to describe the health care needs and perceived stressors of active duty members deployed to Iraq during the predeployment, mid-deployment, and postdeployment phases. ⋯ Active duty members in all phases of deployment had equally disturbing levels of anxiety. All phases reported suicidal ideation at alarming rates (2.4% in predeployment, 4.9% in mid-deployment, and 3% in postdeployment). This study sheds new light on the stressors and subsequent health care needs of active duty members on carriers during war and provides valuable information for the prevention of high-risk anxieties and subsequent health risks for all service members during similar deployments.