Military medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Helping High School-Aged Military Dependents With Autism Gain Employment Through Project SEARCH + ASD Supports.
Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face high rates of unemployment, with unique challenges for military-dependent and -connected youth with ASD. This paper reports preliminary findings from Year One of a randomized waitlist controlled trial investigating the efficacy of the Project SEARCH + ASD Supports (PS + ASD) intervention model for military-dependent and -connected youth with ASD. ⋯ Initial results are promising and suggest that the PS + ASD model may help to meet the transition needs of military-dependent and -connected youth with ASD and the employment needs of local military communities.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A Randomized Trial of Mentored vs Nonmentored Military Medics Compared in the Application of a Wound Clamp Without Prior Training: When to Shut Up and Just Watch!
Hemorrhage control is a basic task required of first responders and typically requires technical interventions during stressful circumstances. Remote telementoring (RTM) utilizes information technology to guide inexperienced providers, but when this is useful remains undefined. ⋯ Thirty-three medics participated (16 mentored and 17 nonmentored). All (100%) successfully applies the WC to arrest the simulated hemorrhage. RTM significantly slowed hemorrhage control (P = 0.000) between the mentored (40.4 ± 12.0 seconds) and nonmentored (15.2 ± 10.3 seconds) groups. On posttask questionnaire, all medics subjectively rated the difficulty of the wound clamping as 1.7/10 (10 being extremely hard). Discussion: WC application appeared to be an easily acquired technique that was effective in controlling simulated extremity exsanguination, such that RTM while feasible did not improve outcomes. Limitations were the lack of true stress and using simulation for the task. Future research should focus on determining when RTM is useful and when it is not required.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Scrambler Therapy Treatment: The Importance of Examining Clinically Meaningful Improvements in Chronic Pain and Quality of Life.
Calmare Scrambler Therapy (ST) interferes with pain signal transmission by using nerve fibers to convey a message of normality to the central nervous system. This prospective, double-blinded, randomized trial had three aims. First, we tried to determine ST's effectiveness in reducing chronic neuropathic pain symptoms and analgesic medication use in military service members, when compared to sham treatment. Next, we examined its effect on reported mental and physical health-related quality of life. Finally, we sought to describe participant perceptions of treatment effectiveness. ⋯ ST is no better than sham treatment in decreasing pain. Yet, patient perceptions of treatment effectiveness are equally important in chronic pain treatment.