Military medicine
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has posed unique challenges to healthcare providers that work in austere environments. Military healthcare providers advise commanders on endemic disease risk, prevention, and management during field training exercises. Healthcare workers are at increased risk of exposure to infectious pathogens. ⋯ Treatment after appropriate diagnosis consisted of supportive care. Respiratory and pain symptoms resolved by 2 months post-diagnosis. Although COVID-19 must be closely monitored in the field training environment, it is important to maintain a high index of suspicion of endemic infectious diseases as a potential etiology for respiratory illnesses.
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The Office of Naval Research sponsored the Blast Load Assessment-Sense and Test program to develop a rapid, in-field solution that could be used by team leaders, commanders, and medical personnel to make science-based stand-down decisions for service members exposed to blast overpressure. However, a critical challenge to this goal was the reliable interpretation of surface pressure data collected by body-worn blast sensors in both combat and combat training scenarios. Without an appropriate standardized metric, exposures from different blast events cannot be compared and accumulated in a service member's unique blast exposure profile. In response to these challenges, we developed the Fast Automated Signal Transformation, or FAST, algorithm to automate the processing of large amounts of pressure-time data collected by blast sensors and provide a rapid, reliable approximation of the incident blast parameters without user intervention. This paper describes the performance of the FAST algorithms developed to approximate incident blast metrics from high-explosive sources using only data from body-mounted blast sensors. ⋯ This paper presents a standardized approach-the FAST algorithms-to analyze body-mounted blast sensor data. FAST algorithms account for the effects of shock interactions with the body to produce an estimate of incident blast conditions, allowing for direct comparison of individual exposure from different blast events. The continuing development of FAST algorithms will include heavy weapons, providing a singular capability to rapidly interpret body-worn sensor data, and provide standard output for analysis of an individual's unique blast exposure profile.
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There are no data on the impact of COVID-19 and associated public health measures, including sheltering at home, travel restrictions, and changes in health care provision, on the mental health of older veterans. This information is necessary for government and philanthropic agencies to tailor mental health supports, services, and resources for veterans in the peri- and post-pandemic periods. The objective of this study was to compare mental health symptoms between Canadian Armed Forces (CAFs) veterans and the general Canadian older adult population in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Veterans' report of mental health symptoms was similar to the general population Spring 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although veterans' military training may better prepare them to adapt in the face of a pandemic, additional research is needed to understand the longitudinal impacts on physical and mental health.
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Research indicates that military service involves stressors that may be related to depression. However, the military provides financial, educational, psychological, and social advantages that may help to mitigate the effects of service-related stressors. Because most prior research was based on cross-sectional data or small clinical samples, we explored individual-level trajectories of depression over time. ⋯ Individuals who were less depressed at year 1 of the study were more likely to enlist into the military. While both civilians and service members displayed decreasing depression over the years of the study, military members had less decrease in depression over time beginning at a lower level of depression than civilian. Taken together, the minor differences in depression between the civilian and military samples and the lower level of depression among military members at the beginning of the study suggest that military service selects against higher levels of depression at the start of service and, given the known stressors related to the military, membership in the service may be associated with resilience to depression.
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On February 24, 2022, Russia began a military invasion of Ukraine. Missile and air strikes were reported throughout the country, shortly followed by a large ground invasion from multiple directions. Four major theaters developed: the Kyiv offensive, the Northeastern Ukraine offensive, the Eastern Ukraine offensive, and the Southern Ukraine offensive, with continued missile and air strikes far into Western Ukraine. ⋯ There are 15 operating nuclear reactors in Ukraine. Each is vulnerable to an attack or sabotage that could precipitate a malfunction and possible release of radioactive isotopes. In this short commentary, we will discuss radiobiologic data obtained after the analysis of historical nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents and emphasize new challenges for nuclear security when NPPs are found and are possible targets within a conflict zone.