Military medicine
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Historical Article
History of the Military Nurse Corps and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic: Lessons for the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic.
During World War I, the 1918 influenza pandemic struck the fatigued combat troops serving on the Western Front. Medical treatment options were limited; thus, skilled military nursing care was the primary therapy and the best indicator of patient outcomes. This article examines the military nursing's role in the care of the soldiers during the 1918 flu pandemic and compares this to the 2019 coronavirus pandemic.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the rate of unmet healthcare needs among Korean enlisted soldiers and to examine the factors associated with unmet healthcare needs, based on Andersen's Health Service Behavior Model. ⋯ The strengthening of aspect of organizational culture, such as injury-prevention efforts at the military level, or support from superior officers, will contribute to a reduction of the unmet healthcare needs of Korean enlisted soldiers.
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At the direction of Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont National Guard rapidly erected a 400-bed alternative healthcare facility field hospital to increase the state's medical capacity early in the COVID-19 pandemic when information was limited and cases were rapidly rising across the country. This case study reviews the preparation and management of the alternative healthcare facility's first COVID-19-positive patient assigned to the 50-bed COVID-19 isolation ward. Despite austere conditions with rudimentary improvements to a nonstandard facility, the ad hoc team composed entirely of members of the Vermont National Guard successfully oversaw patient care from admission to discharge while maintaining a zero-percent transmission rate to staff. While the local civilian medical infrastructure was never overwhelmed and patient census at the facility remained low, this case study highlights the capability of the National Guard enterprise as a community response to pandemic crises.
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We present the case of an active duty 21-year-old male with severe hypoxic respiratory failure after accidentally ingesting, and subsequently aspirating, vaping liquid while intoxicated. Because of the increasing prevalence of vaping devices, this case highlights a unique risk of vape liquids with concentrated nicotine levels and appetizing labels and aromas. Vaping-associated pulmonary injury has been previously described in multiple publications, but unlike those patients with pathology after inhaling vaping products, our patient ingested and subsequently aspirated the highly nicotinic substance. ⋯ By treating preoxygenation as a procedure, the patient received adequate oxygenation resulting in successful intubation without harmful desaturation during the procedure. Given the prevalence of tobacco use in the military as well as the increasing popularity of vaping devices, future military providers have a responsibility to their patients to be prepared for similar case presentations. Fortunately, this case demonstrates that when managed properly, otherwise healthy patients without comorbidities often recover without significant long-term sequelae.
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Dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak required a rapid adjustment to an unfamiliar and unique situation. The current study aimed to identify the challenges faced by Israeli Air Force (IAF) career personnel. ⋯ Life under the COVID-19 threat increased stress factors in the military career population. While reporting greater challenges and higher levels of stress, most of the respondents preferred a brief, focused consultation adjusted to the situation rather than conventional psychological help. The command challenge and the perceived responsibility stood above and beyond all variables examined in the present study.