Military medicine
-
Videoconferencing for Large Animal Trauma Experiments During COVID-19: A Cross-Continent Experience.
COVID-19 shutdowns in many research facilities across North America impacted preclinical trauma-related research and development. Shutdown limited the speed and resources available for large animal experiments necessary for advancing medical devices and technologies. However, the pandemic led to the rapid adoption and expansion of videoconferencing in social circles, workplaces, and primary care health settings. Here, we describe the use of simple videoconferencing equipment to plan and carry out 3 total weeks of large animal experiments with a large, cross-continent, interdisciplinary team testing a novel technology in swine models of noncompressible intraabdominal hemorrhage and junctional hemorrhage. ⋯ The system described in this paper has the potential to reduce costs of trauma animal model development and allow for rapid testing and implementation of life-saving devices in settings with limited onsite personnel as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.