Military medicine
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Military personnel have some of the highest rates of tobacco use in the USA. Within the Air Force, a common point of Airmen's (re-)initiation of tobacco use is during technical training once the tobacco ban has been lifted. Unfortunately, little is known about what factors facilitate and deter tobacco use during technical training. The socio-ecological model, which emphasizes multiple levels of influence on behavior (e.g., personal, intrapersonal, and environmental), provides a strong and comprehensive basis for which to explore factors that may impact tobacco use during technical training. ⋯ Taken together, study findings can be used to enhance the effectiveness of tobacco prevention and cessation programs for Air Force Technical Trainees. Specific strategies to support the reduction of tobacco use among Airmen are presented.
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Traumatic injuries were the most common reason for admission of pediatric patients to military hospitals during the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We compare survival and interventions between female and male pediatric casualties. ⋯ Among pediatric patients treated by U.S. medical personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, females had a lower survival to hospital discharge despite similar severity of injury. Further studies are necessary to elucidate causes for this finding.
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Residency programs in the combined specialty of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics (Med-Peds) are not offered in the military graduate medical education system despite existing in the civilian sector for over 50 years. This residency consists of 4 years of training and results in the development of board-certified internists and pediatricians who can care for patients from infancy to death. This versatility, combined with an emphasis on the transition from childhood to adulthood, would be valuable to the Military Health System. ⋯ As there are already military residency programs in pediatrics and internal medicine, the required infrastructure for such a training program exists. The addition of this residency may also lead to more interest in military medicine from prospective applicants to medical school. This essay uses personal experience to explain how the addition of this specialty to the military would benefit the medical mission domestically and abroad.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a cluster of physical and psychiatric symptoms following military or civilian trauma. The effect of exercise on PTSD symptoms has previously been investigated in several studies. However, it has not been fully determined what type of exercise most impacts PTSD symptoms. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the effects of different types of exercise on PTSD symptom severity and symptoms of coexisting conditions in adults. ⋯ Exercise can be an effective addition to PTSD treatment, and greater amounts of exercise may provide more benefits. However, as there were no differences found between exercise type, possibly due to the inclusion of a low number of studies using different methodologies, further research should aim to investigate the optimal type, dose, and duration of activity that are most beneficial to persons with PTSD.