Military medicine
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A small body of research conducted mostly among civilians has shown that adequate training and preparation can prevent or reduce the development of behavioral health problems in first responders. Several civilian studies have shown that social support is protective against behavioral health problems. However, very few studies have examined the impact of these factors on the behavioral health of military first responders. Military first responders, who serve in the aftermath of natural disasters and disease outbreaks such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, are often members of the National Guard (NG). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mortuary affairs training/handling human remains, role preparation, equipment preparation, and unit social support provided to families on the behavioral health of New York (NY) NG personnel deployed to assist the NY Office of Chief Medical Examiner with handling the remains of COVID-19 decedents. ⋯ Our research points to the importance of emotionally and cognitively preparing service members for the specific dynamics of a deployment and the roles that that they are expected to play. Furthermore, it suggests that supporting the families of NG personnel during domestic missions can benefit the behavioral health of the NG personnel. Additional research is needed to corroborate these findings, particularly the impact of unit support provided to family members on service members' behavioral health.
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The leadership of Vista Forge 2022 requested evaluation of the handoff process between military assets and civilian emergency medical services (EMS) providers by the Beth Israel Deaconess Fellowship in Disaster Medicine (BIDMF). Vista Forge was a multi-agency military-civilian full-scale disaster exercise coordinated by the U.S. Military. The exercise, held in Atlanta, Georgia, simulated response to a nuclear bomb in an urban setting by military and civilian disaster teams. ⋯ Future studies should develop a standardized handoff procedure to be used in mass casualty situations, and trial it in future multi-agency disaster exercises. Radiation specific triage tags should be considered.
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A commercially available snake bite device was pilot tested for novel use as a method of hemostasis and wound repair at a noncompressible site in a live swine model. The device is light, is plastic, uses a hook-and-loop strap attachment, and is easily deployed. The device could offer a method for the field repair of an actively bleeding laceration at a noncompressible site in an austere environment. ⋯ There was statistically significantly less blood loss during the repairs with the device's application. This feasibility experiment demonstrates that a commercially available snakebite device may be useful for hemostasis during laceration repair at anatomic sites not amenable to application of tourniquets or compressive dressings. Strengths of the study include the prospective controlled design, including the use of each animal as its own control; alternating proceduralists to account for any variability in suturing efficiency; and the statistical significance of the results despite the small number of subjects. One weakness is that the time required for each repair was not measured. The device's portability and reusability suggest applicability in austere medical environments. Future studies could include timing the repairs, using a skin stapler or wound adhesive instead of sutures, applying a hemostatic agent before the repair, and sequentially applying the device to wounds longer than the device.
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As the utilization of minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion (SIJF) continues to expand, a better understanding of postoperative outcomes is needed, particularly in young and active individuals. The purpose of this study is to assess the outcomes of this procedure in an active duty military population by examining return-to-duty (RTD) rates. ⋯ Following SIJF, a small majority of service members were able to return to full active duty status by 6 months. Further studies are needed to assess the potential benefits of navigation and implant selection, as our retrospective review noted differences in outcomes based on these variables.
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There is a knowledge gap concerning the occurrence of physical complaints/injuries, i.e., musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), among Swedish women who undergo basic military training (BMT). The aims were to describe prevalence and factors related to MSD and explore physical exposure and performance in Swedish female recruits during BMT. ⋯ This study showed that the prevalence of MSD in Swedish female recruits was high before, during, and at the end of BMT, with knee and upper back as the most frequent locations. Although the physical exposure during BMT was occasionally high, self-rated health was mainly perceived as good to excellent at the end of BMT. Previous MSD and being physically unprepared were related to MSD at the end of BMT. These important and relevant findings indicate the necessity for implementing interventions to increase physical fitness and treat MSD at the beginning of BMT.