Military medicine
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The aim is to investigate the impact of large-group, motor learning-based running gait training on injury risk in United States Air Force (USAF) Basic Military Training (BMT). ⋯ While not previously shown to mitigate injury, large-group, running gait training was associated with a significant reduction in injury severity defined by training delays and separation from service in USAF BMT.
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A small body of research conducted mostly among civilians has shown that adequate training and preparation can prevent or reduce the development of behavioral health problems in first responders. Several civilian studies have shown that social support is protective against behavioral health problems. However, very few studies have examined the impact of these factors on the behavioral health of military first responders. Military first responders, who serve in the aftermath of natural disasters and disease outbreaks such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, are often members of the National Guard (NG). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mortuary affairs training/handling human remains, role preparation, equipment preparation, and unit social support provided to families on the behavioral health of New York (NY) NG personnel deployed to assist the NY Office of Chief Medical Examiner with handling the remains of COVID-19 decedents. ⋯ Our research points to the importance of emotionally and cognitively preparing service members for the specific dynamics of a deployment and the roles that that they are expected to play. Furthermore, it suggests that supporting the families of NG personnel during domestic missions can benefit the behavioral health of the NG personnel. Additional research is needed to corroborate these findings, particularly the impact of unit support provided to family members on service members' behavioral health.
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Appendectomy is the treatment of choice for acute appendicitis. The procedure can be performed open or laparoscopically. However, laparoscopy is not available on military missions abroad. It is unclear whether treatment outcomes differ between the two surgical approaches. ⋯ Open appendectomy can be considered equivalent in outcome to the laparoscopic procedure and thus can be performed on military missions abroad without compromising outcome. Military surgeons must continue to be trained and confident in open appendectomy.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition that could lead to debilitating and sometimes life-threatening consequences. Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is effective in providing a conservative, nonsurgical treatment option for patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate OSA. The primary goal of this study is to describe a symptom-based titration protocol and determine if the patients can be effectively managed with oral appliances (OAs). ⋯ Oral appliance therapy (OAT) can be a reliable treatment modality to treat OSA, and performing a separate overnight posttreatment titration study further ensures its effectiveness. Furthermore, OAT can be an effective treatment modality even for moderate-to-severe OSA with posttreatment titration.
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To improve survival for hemorrhagic shock treatment, guidelines emphasize two patient care priorities: (1) immediate hemorrhage control and (2) early resuscitation with whole blood or blood products. The LifeFlow device is designed to rapidly infuse blood products. However, the effects of using this device compared to pressure-bag systems remain unclear. We hypothesize that there will be no laboratory-measured difference with the blood when infused through the LifeFlow versus the current standard pressure bag system. ⋯ In comparing the LifeFlow to the pressure bag, there were no significant differences noted in the total time to acquire or administer a whole unit of blood. However, there were differences with several laboratory parameters of unclear clinical significance.