Journal of special operations medicine : a peer reviewed journal for SOF medical professionals最新文献

Background: Conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) are nonlethal weapons used in tactical environments. Tactical EMS (TEMS) operators provide patient care in environments where CEWs are present. CEWs may produce a spark that can be a source of ignition. When supplemental oxygen is in use by a TEMS operator, the flammability risk from the CEW is unknown.

Methods: We measured oxygen levels over 20 minutes in an enclosed space with a supplemental oxygen source maximally flowing. Measurements were taken at various distances from the oxygen source to establish baseline concentrations. These concentrations were replicated within a plexiglass box where a CEW was activated to create a sparking arc between probes embedded in a fresh swine shoulder (with skin intact). Various flammable materials, typically found in a patient care setting were used as potential fuel sources.

Results: The highest oxygen levels were achieved directly at the source. At 15cm from the source, the maximum oxygen concentration was 31.5%. Within the box, ignition was only achieved at oxygen concentrations greater than 45% and only when human hair was present as fuel. No ignition was achieved at oxygen levels below this regardless of the tested fuel present.

Conclusion: Ignition from a CEW is possible at supplemental oxygen levels greater than 45% when human hair is present. In an enclosed space, oxygen concentration levels of 45% are only present within 15cm of a flush rate oxygen source. The likelihood of CEW-caused ignition in such settings with supplemental oxygen in use is extremely low.

Background: Continuous exposure to extreme and chronic stress from uncontrollable events has been linked to increased psychological and physiological reactivity. Prolonged, frequent deployments may test coping skills over time, ultimately rendering Servicemembers vulnerable to mental health problems and suicide. This study develops a methodology for accurately collecting holistic health measures from Servicemembers using digital tools, including custom-built phone software and body-worn sensors.

Methods: The secure research platform and mobile app continuously collect multiple health measures and, after data analysis, deliver continuously updated summary data back to the Servicemember. This system provides novel insights into the relationships between the measures while helping individuals track their progress toward self-established goals. Participants were given an iPhone (including the study app) and an Apple Watch. Participants tracked their data for more than 6 months and responded to baseline, daily, and weekly questions and assessments. Physiologic, psychologic, and cognitive assessment data across the Preservation of the Force and Family program (POTFF) domains were collected, displayed to the individual, and analyzed in aggregate.

Results: When coupled with custom-built software, this hardware can be elevated from a fitness tracker to a user-facing health monitoring, educational, and delivery system.

Conclusion: This wearable system measured vital factors associated with the health and human performance of Servicemembers. In real-time, it engaged Servicemembers in health and human performance optimization practices to achieve a goal of prevention of physical or mental injury.

Needle decompression is a mainstay intervention for tension pneumothorax in trauma medicine. It is used in combat and prehospital medicine when definitive measures are often not available or ideal. It can temporarily relieve increased intrathoracic pressure and treat a collapsed lung or great vessel obstruction. However, when done incorrectly, it can result in underlying visceral organ and vessel trauma. This is a case of an adult male who presented to the emergency department after sustaining multiple stab wounds during an altercation. On arrival, the patient had a 14-gauge angiocatheter inserted at the 4th intercostal space (ICS), left of the parasternal line traversing the right ventricle and interventricular septum and terminating in the left ventricle. The case emphasizes the importance of understanding the landmarks of performing needle decompression in increasing the procedure's efficacy and reducing iatrogenic complications.

Background: Thoracic trauma occurs frequently in combat and is associated with high mortality. Tube thoracostomy (chest tube) is the treatment for pneumothorax resulting from thoracic trauma, but little data exist to characterize combat casualties undergoing this intervention. We sought to describe the incidence of these injuries and procedures to inform training and materiel development priorities.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DoDTR) data set from 2007 to 2020 describing prehospital care within all theaters in the registry. We described all casualties who received a tube thoracostomy within 24 hours of admission to a military treatment facility. Variables described included casualty demographics; abbreviated injury scale (AIS) score by body region, presented as binary serious (=3) or not serious (<3); and prehospital interventions.

Results: The database identified 25,897 casualties, 2,178 (8.4%) of whom received a tube thoracostomy within 24 hours of admission. Of those casualties, the body regions with the highest proportions of common serious injury (AIS >3) were thorax 62% (1,351), extremities 29% (629), abdomen 22% (473), and head/neck 22% (473). Of those casualties, 13% (276) had prehospital needle thoracostomies performed, and 19% (416) had limb tourniquets placed. Most of the patients were male (97%), partner forces members or humanitarian casualties (70%), and survived to discharge (87%).

Conclusions: Combat casualties with chest trauma often have multiple injuries complicating prehospital and hospital care. Explosions and gunshot wounds are common mechanisms of injury associated with the need for tube thoracostomy, and these interventions are often performed by enlisted medical personnel. Future efforts should be made to provide a correlation between chest interventions and pneumothorax management in prehospital thoracic trauma.

Building upon our operational model, we will discuss findings from our ethnographic study titled "The Impact of Catastrophic Injury Exposure on Resilience in Special Operations Surgical Teams" to establish that impression management allows Special Operation Forces (SOF) medics to navigate implicit social status symbols to either degrade or optimize performance. We will use qualitative quotes to explore how Special Operations Surgical Team (SOST) medics engage in impression management to establish individual, team, and/or organizational competency to deal with ambiguity. To achieve our goals, we will: 1) provide a background on impression management and perception of competency; 2) define the social determinant of impression management extrapolated from qualitative data as well as use qualitative data to thematize various types of impression management; and 3) relate tactical engagement with impression to our metaphor of bag sets. We conclude by gesturing to the importance of impression management in orienting SOF medics' proprioception and kinesthesia in the SOF performance space.

This paper is designed to introduce, propose, inform, and advocate enhanced relationships between the medical communities of special operations and space. Although each provides service support in different roles and functions, similarities in both the operational context and in medical care are notable. During a recent interaction, significant relationship potential was discovered by both communities, and recommendations for greater engagement are proposed herein. By identifying and appreciating similarities and understanding history, key actors, and authorities to analyze and realize opportunities will enable us to find synergy for the development of like efforts and goals. Collaboration in research on the limits of human performance and medical support to the most austere and challenging operational environments may benefit both communities in different but productive ways. Establishing and increasing cooperation will also meet command strategic intent, explore and advance a policy concept, initiate a relationship between unique medical communities, and provide a tangible success for the advancement of operational support.

Background: Irrigation is used to minimize infection of open wounds. Sterile saline is preferred, but potable water is becoming more widely accepted. However, the large volumes of water that are recommended are usually not available in austere environments. This study determined the long-term antimicrobial effectiveness of military purification powder compared with currently available civilian methods. The study also compared the physical characteristics and outcomes under the logistical constraints.

Methods: Six commercially available water decontamination procedures were used to decontaminate five different sources of water (pond water, river water, inoculated saline, tap water, and sterile saline). Each product was evaluated based on six different parameters: bacterial culture, pH, turbidity, cost, flow rate, and size.

Results: All methods of treatment decreased the bacterial count below the limit of detection. However, they had variable effects on pH and turbidity of the five water sources. Prices ranged from $7.95 to $350, yielding 10-10,000L of water, and weighing between 18 and 500g.

Conclusion: In austere settings, where all equipment is carried manually, no single decontamination device is available to optimize all the measured parameters. Since all products effectively reduced microbial levels, their size, cost, and production capability should be evaluated for the intended application.

Background: Blood is a highly valuable medical resource that necessitates strict guidelines to ensure the safety and well-being of the recipient. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine there has been an increased demand for training in emergency fresh whole blood transfusion (EFWBT) to improve damage control resuscitation capabilities. To meet this demand, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a training program aimed at enhancing Ukrainian EFWBT proficiency.

Methods: Eight Ukrainian healthcare professionals (UHPs), including six physicians and two medics, completed our training, derived from the Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines, Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Guidelines, 75th Ranger Regiment Ranger O-Low Titer (ROLO) program, and Marine Corps Valkyrie program. Participants were assessed on their confidence in the practical application and administrative oversight requirements of an EFWBT program. A cross-comparison was conducted between a larger data set of third-year medical students from the Uniformed Services University and the UHPs to determine the statistical significance of the program.

Results: The difference in mean scores of UHPs during preand post-training was statistically significant (p<0.001). Additionally, the average rate of improvement was greater for the UHPs compared with the third-year medical students (p=0.000065).

Conclusion: Our study revealed that the application of an EFWBT training program for UHPs can significantly increase confidence in their ability to conduct EFWBTs on the battlefield. Further larger-scale research is needed to determine the impact of this training on performance outcomes.

The use of tourniquets for life-threatening limb hemorrhage is standard of care in military and civilian medicine. The United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DoD) Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) guidelines, as part of the Joint Trauma System, support the application of tourniquets within a structured system reliant on highly trained medics and expeditious evacuation. Current practices by entities such as the DoD and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are supported by evidence collected in counter-insurgency operations and other conflicts in which transport times to care rarely went beyond one hour, and casualty rates and tactical situations rarely exceeded capabilities. Tourniquets cause complications when misused or utilized for prolonged durations, and in near-peer or peer-peer conflicts, contested airspace and the impact of high-attrition warfare may increase time to definitive care and limit training resources. We present a series of cases from the war in Ukraine that suggest tourniquet practices are contributing to complications such as limb amputation, overall morbidity and mortality, and increased burden on the medical system. We discuss factors that contribute to this phenomenon and propose interventions for use in current and future similar contexts, with the ultimate goal of reducing morbidity and mortality.

The current United States Navy and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) maritime strategy is coalescing around the concept of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMOs) to prepare for future large-scale combat operations with peer or near-peer competitors. As a result, individual components of naval forces will be more geographically dispersed and oper- ating at a significant time and distance from higher levels of medical care. We developed a series of educational scenarios informed by real-world events to enhance the ability of Role 1 medical caregivers to apply the principles of Prolonged Ca- sualty Care during current routine, crisis, and contingency DMOs.