Military medicine
-
The use of personal protection equipment (PPE) for patient care can have an impact on the delivery of effective patient care. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of basic PPE on intubation times and corresponding success rates in cadaver models. ⋯ Although the mean intubation times between the groups were not significantly different, the overall success rate was significantly higher in the standard uniform group when compared with PPE group. The perceived difficulty rating was also noted to be significantly higher in the PPE group when compared with the standard uniform group.
-
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common military service-related conditions diagnosed both singly and together in veterans returning from recent military conflicts overseas. The impact of these disorders in real-world Veterans Health Administration practice has not been studied extensively, and few studies have examined the association of these disorders both by themselves and together with sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric and medical comorbidities, health service utilization, and psychotropic medication fills. This study aims to add to the broader study of multimorbidity and the impact it has on patient care. ⋯ PTSD thus plays the dominant role in the development of psychiatric difficulties and service use independently of mTBI. The recognition of the central importance of psychiatric difficulties in the functional outcomes of individuals who have experienced an mTBI suggests a need to assure access of veterans to psychiatric treatment services.
-
The prevention of sexual assault (SA) in the U. S. military is a significant priority. This study applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to a literature search that identified research evaluating SA prevention programs conducted within military settings. ⋯ Studies also lacked utilization of a long-term follow-up period. Additionally, studies did not reflect the types of SA prevention programs currently being implemented in military settings. Taken together, further research is needed to enhance the evidence base for SA prevention in the military, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches currently being conducted with service members.
-
Between 2001 and 2009, opioid analgesic prescriptions in the Military Health System quadrupled to 3.8 million. The sheer quantity of opioid analgesics available sets the stage for issues related to misuse, abuse, and diversion. To address this issue, the Department of Defense implemented several directives and clinical guidelines to improve access to appropriate pain care and safe opioid prescribing. Unfortunately, little has been done to characterize changing patterns of opioid use in active duty service members (ADSM), so little is known about how combat operations and military health care policy may have influenced this significant problem. We examined changes in opioid use for ADSM between 2006 and 2014, compared trends with the civilian population, and explored the potential role of military-specific factors in changes in opioid use in the Military Health System. ⋯ After December 2011, opioid use patterns significantly decreased in both civilian and ADSM populations, but more so in the military population. Many factors, such as numbers of those wounded in action and the structural organization of the Military Health System, may have caused the decline, although more than likely the decrease was influenced by many factors inside and outside of the military, including policy directives and cultural changes.