Military medicine
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The majority of combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) within the U. S. Armed Forces is mild TBI (mTBI). ⋯ Department of Veterans Affairs. Although symptoms following mTBI generally resolve with time, active treatment is centered on symptom management, supervised rest, recovery, and patient education. Medical specialty care, ancillary services, and other therapeutic services may be required.
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Case Reports
Bilateral compartment syndrome of the anterior thigh following functional fitness exercises: a case report.
We present a case of delayed, acute bilateral exertional compartment syndrome of the anterior thigh induced by callisthenic exercise. Symptoms consisted of pain out of proportion to examination findings, inability to ambulate, and severe pain with knee flexion. Treatment consisted of bilateral thigh fasciotomies and supportive therapy for concomitant rhabdomyolysis. Full strength, range of motion, and return to all military duties were achieved by 4 months postinjury.
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Traumatic brain injury exists in a spectrum of severity among wounded personnel. The evaluation and clinical presentation, initial management, and treatment interventions to prevent secondary injury processes for combat-associated moderate and severe traumatic brain injury are reviewed. Promising therapies are discussed, and a current review of the literature is provided.
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Hemorrhagic shock is a primary injury amongst combat casualties. Aeromedical evacuation (AE) of casualties exposes patients to a hypobaric, hypoxic environment. The effect of this environment on the host response to hemorrhagic shock is unknown. ⋯ Serum cytokine concentrations, neutrophil recruitment, and vascular permeability in the lung, ileum, and colon in the simulated AE groups were not different from the ground controls. Our results demonstrate that mice exposed to simulated AE following hemorrhagic shock do not exhibit worsened systemic inflammation or organ injury compared to controls. The data suggest that AE has no adverse effect on isolated hemorrhagic shock.
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Although it is generally known that clavicle fractures represent a common injury of the shoulder girdle in the general population, the true incidence in the active duty military population is unknown. Given the implications for such injuries on the ability to perform occupation-specific tasks, determining the incidence in the U.S. military population is worthwhile. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of clavicle fractures in the U.S. military and to identify any demographic risk factors for injury. ⋯ The incidence of clavicle fractures among U.S. military personnel (0.908 per 1,000 person-years) is higher than previous epidemiological reports.