Military medicine
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The U. S. military services, drawing on the experiences of civilian trauma systems in monitoring trauma care delivery, have begun to implement their own registries, emphasizing injury incidence and severity in a combat environment. This article introduces and describes the development of the U. ⋯ The Navy-Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry is composed of data sets describing events that occur from the point of injury through the medical chain of evacuation and on to long-term rehabilitative outcomes. Data were collected from Navy-Marine Corps level 1B, 2, and 3 medical treatment facilities. Data from the official combat period were analyzed to present a variety of preliminary findings that indicate, among other things, how many and for what type of injury casualties were evacuated, specific mechanisms of injury, and types of injuries treated at the medical treatment facilities.
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This study evaluates what type of patient prepares a birth plan, identifies common requests made, and determines how closely these are followed during labor. ⋯ Patients with birth plans were generally older and well-educated and, despite plans to avoid an epidural, most patients changed their minds.
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Today's military is experiencing rapid advances in technology and in manpower utilization. The Army Medical Department is redesigning the structure and function of deployable hospital systems as part of this effort. ⋯ The lived experiences of five nurse practitioners deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom are presented. Data gathered during the deployment and an analysis of the literature clearly support expanded and legitimized roles for these health care professionals in future conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
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Casualties incurred during the assault on Punta Paitilla Airfield during Operation Just Cause were evaluated through reviews of records and interviews with the participants. There were eight initial casualties. ⋯ Rapid control of external exsanguination was the technique most likely to prevent death. Tourniquets were applied to three lower extremities for two casualties, without sequelae.
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Comparative Study
Child sexual abuse and adulthood sexual assault among military veteran and civilian women.
The purpose of this study was to investigate childhood sexual abuse (CSA), adulthood sexual victimization (ASV), and adulthood sexual assault experiences in a comparison sample of female military veterans (n = 142) and civilian community members (n = 81). Women veterans were significantly more likely than civilian women to report adult sexual assault. Although comparable rates of CSA and ASV were found across groups, veterans more frequently reported having been sexually abused by a parental figure, reported longer durations of CSA, and significantly greater severity of ASV than civilians. Implications for mental health professionals providing sexual trauma services to female military personnel and veterans are discussed.