Military medicine
-
Case Reports
Sprengel deformity presenting as a post-traumatic injury in an afghan boy: a case report.
Sprengel deformity is a rare congenital anomaly that involves the shoulder joint and scapula. We treated a young Afghan boy who was presented to the German Level II Provincial Reconstructive Team in Kunduz, Afghanistan, with the complaint of a shoulder deformity evolving after an accident that occurred several years before the presentation of the patient to clinic. Physicians maximized the available resources for the diagnostic workup by arranging for his computed tomography scan at the German Level III Hospital at Mazar-e-Sharif and then reviewing the study through teleradiology. The presence of a Coalition Surgical Team allowed the delivery of advanced surgical care by combining the specialized surgical skills of three upper extremity surgeons deployed to the area.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized controlled trial of accelerated resolution therapy (ART) for symptoms of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) endorsed by the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration are relatively lengthy, costly, and yield variable success. We evaluated Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for the treatment of combat-related psychological trauma. ⋯ ART appears to be a safe and effective treatment for symptoms of combat-related PTSD, including refractory PTSD, and is delivered in significantly less time than therapies endorsed by the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration.
-
The purpose of this study was to explore rates of secondary traumatic stress (STS) in a sample of 70 military primary and mental health care providers. The sample included working professionals within two military hospitals. Participants completed surveys containing a demographic questionnaire and the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. ⋯ The most frequently reported symptoms were feeling emotionally numb and trouble sleeping followed by the intrusive thoughts about clients. The least frequently reported symptom was feeling jumpy. Implications of study findings and recommendations for future research are outlined.
-
Despite improved body armor, hemorrhage remains the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. Trauma to the junctional areas such as pelvis, groin, and axilla can be life threatening and difficult to manage. The Abdominal Aortic Tourniquet (AAT) is a prehospital device capable of preventing pelvic and proximal lower limb hemorrhage by means of external aortic compression. ⋯ Blood flow in the CFA was eliminated in 15 out of 16 participants. The one unsuccessful subject was above average height, weight, body mass index, and abdominal girth. This study shows the AAT to be effective in the control of blood flow in the pelvis and proximal lower limb and potentially lifesaving.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Identification of barriers to adaptation of battlefield technologies into civilian trauma in California.
To characterize the adoption of routine battlefield medical techniques (tourniquets, hemostatic agents, and tactical combat casualty care into civilian prehospital trauma care and to identify the barriers to their use in the state of California through anonymous electronic survey of local emergency medical services agency (LEMSA) directors. ⋯ Tourniquets, hemostatic agents, and tactical medical care are the integral components of battlefield medicine and have been lifesaving in these settings. The barriers to this transition are multifactorial. Physicians familiar with these technologies should become advocates for their integration in civilian trauma patient care.