Military medicine
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The prevention of hypothermia in military casualties under field conditions is challenging. The efficacy of a baffled reflective Blanket (Blizzard Blanket), a portable intravenous fluid warmer (Thermal Angel), and wool Blankets (control) in preventing hypothermia was tested under military field conditions in a swine hemorrhagic shock model. Fifteen pigs were bled at 10 degrees C. ⋯ The Blizzard Blanket limited but did not prevent hypothermia. The Thermal Angel plus Blizzard Blanket combination prevented hypothermia. The Thermal Angel is useful for bolus administration when electricity is limited; its military field use is constrained by battery weight and battery life.
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With rapid and frequent deployments around the world, the current high level of military operations demands combat readiness of every military member. In the U. S. ⋯ Strategies to mitigate and even eliminate these concerns include the optional use of hormonal medications to induce reversible menstrual cycle suppression. These medications, traditionally indicated for contraception, should be considered essential for female troops during training and deployment. This article, tailored specifically for military women, provides valuable information regarding the risks and benefits, as well as the various options available for menstrual cycle suppression.
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Air Force (AF)-certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) play an important role in the support of the global war on terror. The purpose of the investigation was to use an AF CRNA-specific modification of the Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index Revised for AF Nurses to assess readiness for deployment. Dimensions included clinical competency, operational competency, soldier/survival skills, personal/psychosocial/physical readiness, leadership and administrative support, and group integration/identification. ⋯ Available stateside AF CRNAs (n=105) were surveyed, with a 60% response rate. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample, providing a mean score for each variable. Using a 5-point scale, participants rated themselves with an overall readiness score of 4.09, which suggests that AF CRNAs perceive themselves as ready to deploy.
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The Navy-Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry is a data repository summarizing information from data sets describing injuries sustained and treatments administered to casualties from the point of injury to rehabilitation. Among the medical facilities contributing data to the Combat Trauma Registry during Operation Iraqi Freedom were the Marine Corps forward surgical companies. The surgical companies offer resuscitative surgery, medical treatment, and temporary holding facilities, in addition to preparing patients for evacuation. ⋯ S. casualties seen were wounded in action. In contrast, >75% of the enemy prisoner of war presentations were for battle injuries. Less than 15% of the patients were held at the facilities for >24 hours.
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Comparative Study
Perceived stress, heart rate, and blood pressure among adolescents with family members deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This study compared the impact of the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) and self-reported stress levels among three groups of self-categorized adolescents: (1) military dependents with family members deployed; (2) military dependents with no family members deployed; (3) civilian dependents. At the onset and end of the "major hostilities" of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 121 adolescents (mean age = 15.8 +/- 1.1 years) completed questionnaires evaluating the psychological impact of the war and were evaluated for HR and BP. ⋯ Ethnicity by group interactions indicated that European American-deployed dependents had higher stress scores at both time points (p < 0.02). Military dependent European Americans exhibited higher systolic BP compared to the other groups on the second evaluation (p < 0.03).