Military medicine
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The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq witnessed the first widespread use of U. S. Army Forward Surgical Teams (FSTs). ⋯ S. Forces withdrawing under combat conditions required changes in techniques, tactics, and procedures. We describe our experience within three different scenarios in which elements of an FST were successfully employed and discuss operational planning considerations.
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Comparative Study
Changes in hearing thresholds as measured by decibels of hearing loss in British Army Air Corps lynx and apache pilots.
Helicopter pilots are exposed to noise at work and are at risk of developing hearing loss in excess of that which naturally results from aging. We investigated whether Lynx pilots demonstrated changes to hearing thresholds that differed from Apache pilots. ⋯ The results suggest that the circumaural earmuffs currently incorporated into the flying helmet mitigate the risk of noise-induced hearing loss in these pilots.
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Medical evacuation of combat casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan is achieved primarily by helicopter, because of distances involved as well as ground-based threats. In Helmand Province, evacuation from the point of injury may occur on a variety of helicopter evacuation platforms with disparate levels of attendant medical expertise. ⋯ We discuss the role of helicopter-based medical evacuation in Helmand, Afghanistan, as well as triage and timelines to the most appropriate medical facilities. Based on our experience and available evidence, we have made recommendations to regional commanders which favor the utilization of prehospital critical care teams aboard helicopter-based evacuation platforms and direct triage to the highest echelon of care available when feasible.
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The mental health of American military soldiers and veterans is of widespread concern; yet, there has been no prior review of studies on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) veterans. This article provides a brief, but comprehensive review of the mental health of AAPI veterans. An exhaustive literature search was conducted using the major medical and mental health literature databases. ⋯ Findings from these studies showed that some AAPI veterans who served during the Vietnam War encountered racism from fellow soldiers and race-related stressors were associated with more severe post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. As a group, AAPI veterans were found to be physically healthier than other veterans, but reported poorer mental health and were less likely to use mental health services. However, these findings were limited by the paucity of studies on AAPI veterans and suggest a need for more research on this subpopulation.
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Rashes are common complaints on ships. With limited diagnostic tests and no specialists readily available, treating serious skin conditions is difficult. ⋯ Moreover, medical evacuations are costly and detrimental to accomplishing Navy mission objectives. This report highlights the medical workup of an unidentified, severe rash with only limited diagnostic tools and a varied medical history.