Military medicine
-
Today, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is, respectively, 49% and 17% among French adults. This research investigates their existence in the French Armed Forces, in terms of the impact on military operative response and military readiness. As no previous studies have evaluated the weight status of the whole French Armed Forces, this work assesses the situation for the first time in France. ⋯ As all armies, the French Armed Forces are affected by obesity. Nevertheless, the prevalence of obesity seems lower than in other Western armies. In the French army, as in the general population, obesity is correlated with socioeconomic status and level of education. However, compared to the general French population, there is less obesity and overweight in the French Armed Forces. Moreover, overweight and obese military members have a lower cardiovascular risk than their civilian counterparts. Enlistment standards, military occupational activity, and a mandatory high level of physical fitness could explain these different proportions of overweight and obesity. This raises the question of the protective effect of regular physical activity. Is this a serious way to fight against the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity in Western countries? Indeed, this is a significant public health issue, which also affects the military's quick response force capacity and strategic capabilities. Therefore, the identification of specific demographic characteristics should be considered in developing prevention programs.
-
Observational Study
The Impact of Combat Ocular Trauma and Traumatic Brain Injury on Vision- and Health-Related Quality of Life Among U.S. Military Casualties.
The purpose of this study was to assess visual and health-related quality of life (QOL) among U.S. military service members who sustained combat ocular trauma (COT) with or without associated traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Vision-related QOL of COT patients is generally good in the long term. However, those with both COT and a history of TBI conditions showed significantly worse functioning in several domains than those without TBI. As TBI is a common finding in COT, this association is an important factor impacting this population's overall clinical presentation and daily functions.
-
Portal vein thrombosis is the thrombotic occlusion of the extrahepatic portal system, which can propagate towards the vena caval system. Although rare, it occurs primarily in those with cirrhosis, intra-abdominal infections, malignancy, or hypercoagulable disorders. This report describes the first reported case of a soldier within special operations without identifiable risk factors who was found to have a completely occlusive portal vein thrombosis after approximately 10 days of insidious abdominal pain. This case emphasizes the importance of considering this rare but dangerous pathology among this highly screened and capable special operations population.
-
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created a global pandemic resulting in over 1 million deaths worldwide. In the Department of Defense (DoD), over 129,000 personnel (civilians, dependents, and active duty) have been infected with the virus to date. Rapid estimations of transmission and mutational patterns of virus outbreaks can be accomplished using whole-genome viral sequencing. Deriving interpretable and actionable results from pathogen sequence data is accomplished by the construction of phylogenetic trees (from local and global virus sequences) and by the creation of protein maps, to visualize and predict the effects of structural protein amino acid mutations. ⋯ The workflow presented here is designed to enable DoD public health officials to track viral evolution and conduct near real-time evaluation of future outbreaks. The generation of molecular epidemiological sequence data is critical for the development of disease intervention strategies-most notably, vaccine design. Overall, we present a streamlined sequencing and bioinformatics methodology aimed at improving long-term readiness efforts in the DoD.
-
To compare pain medication refill rates for adult septoplasty and rhinoplasty patients before and after initiating a multimodal analgesic protocol for reducing opioid prescriptions (PROP). ⋯ The outcomes after PROP implementation for septoplasty and rhinoplasty at our institution suggest that opioid prescription rates can be significantly decreased to manage postoperative pain, with no difference in opioid refill rates. The results also warrant further investigation into patient pain, satisfaction, provider efficiency, and healthcare costs.