Wilderness & environmental medicine
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jun 2017
First Report of Using Portable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) for Search and Rescue.
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), colloquially called drones, are used commonly for military, government, and civilian purposes, including both commercial and consumer applications. During a search and rescue mission in Oregon, a UAS was used to confirm a fatality in a slot canyon; this eliminated the need for a dangerous rappel at night by rescue personnel. ⋯ UAS with cameras may be useful for searching, observing, and documenting missions. It is possible that UAS might be useful for delivering equipment in difficult areas and in communication.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jun 2017
ReviewJunctional Hemorrhage Control for Tactical Combat Casualty Care.
During historic, as well as more recent, conflicts, most combat casualties who die from their injuries do so in the prehospital setting. Although many of the injuries incurred by these casualties are nonsurvivable, a number of injuries are still potentially survivable. Of those injuries that are potentially survivable, the majority are truncal, junctional, and extremity hemorrhage. ⋯ The objective of this article is to provide an updated review of junctional hemorrhage control efforts and devices as they apply primarily to military prehospital trauma management and Tactical Combat Casualty Care and to prompt further consideration and application of these devices in nonmilitary prehospital, austere, and wilderness environments. Four junctional tourniquets are currently cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for junctional hemorrhage control, and 1 junctional tourniquet is also FDA-cleared for pelvic stabilization. As junctional hemorrhage control efforts progress, scientists need to continue to conduct research and clinicians need to continue to monitor the performance of junctional tourniquets, especially in conjunction with morbidity and mortality outcomes, for both military and civilian trauma patients.