Military medicine
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Military spouses must contend with unique issues such as a mobile lifestyle, rules and regulations of military life, and frequent family separations including peacekeeping and combat deployments. These issues may have an adverse effect on the health of military spouses. ⋯ Spouses were more likely to seek care for their mental health problems and were less concerned with the stigma of mental health care than were soldiers. Services were most often received from primary care physicians, rather than specialty mental health professionals, which may relate to the lack of availability of mental health services for spouses on military installations.
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Experience with delivery of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in support of combat operations by the U. S. military has not been reported since the 1970s. We describe the tri-service military medical experience with RRT in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. ⋯ None had required RRT in theater. Renal failure requiring RRT during combat operations remains an unusual but serious event, calling for flexibility in the provision of care. Notably, the Operation Iraqi Freedom experience has highlighted the needs of injured host nation patients with AKI and future military medical planning will need to account for their intratheater renal care.