Military medicine
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First responders and those who work with organophosphate (OP) compounds can experience ocular symptoms similar to those caused by exposure to low levels of nerve agents. This study was designed to examine the efficacy of a safe, clinically available, simulant that reproduces ocular symptoms associated with low-level OP exposure. Among these ocular symptoms are a constriction of the pupils (miosis), decreased visual acuity, and changes in accommodation. ⋯ 2% pilocarpine ophthalmic solution can safely simulate major ocular symptoms of OP exposure for behavioral research studies for at least 60 minutes.
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Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease spread through contact with contaminated water/soil. The US soldiers at the military bases in these countries are extremely vulnerable, as most of them are immunologically naïve to the responsible pathogen. No recent sero-epidemiological data of leptospirosis among US Marines stationed in Japan were available. ⋯ The 5% rate of seroconversion in 2013 and 2014 suggests that leptospirosis is a potential threat for Marines in the endemic region in Japan.
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Attempting to expedite delivery of care to wounded war fighters, this study aimed to quantify the ability of medical and surgical teams to perform lifesaving damage control and resuscitation procedures aboard nontraditional US Navy Vessels on high seas. Specifically, it looked at the ability of the teams to perform procedures in shipboard operating and emergency rooms by analyzing motion of personnel during the procedures. ⋯ This shows that the working conditions aboard the US Naval Ship Brunswick were satisfactory for the assigned tasks, indicating that these medical operations may be feasible aboard nontraditional US Navy vessels.
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Airway compromise is the second leading cause of potentially survivable death on the battlefield. The purpose of this study was to better understand wartime prehospital airway patients. ⋯ In the R2D, airway intervention was associated with increased odds of mortality, although this was not statistically significant. Other patients had higher odds of undergoing an airway intervention than U.S. military. Awareness of these findings will facilitate training and equipment for future management of prehospital/prolonged field care airway interventions.
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This study develops and demonstrates an analysis approach to understand the statistics of cumulative pressure exposure of the brain to repetitive blasts events. ⋯ Statistical convergence of the brain pressure response metrics versus number of blasts for different exposures characterizes the transitions from "low" to "high" number of blasts and quantitatively highlights the differences between operational and training exposures.