Military medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Re-evaluating the field tourniquet for the Canadian Forces.
To determine the best field tourniquet for Medical Technician (Med Tech) use in the Canadian Forces (CF). ⋯ When tested on a group of CF Med Techs, the C-A-T remained the CF field tourniquet of choice, based on the assessed criteria. Although there is inherent bias in the approach of this study, it reflects the process required to determine if a new piece of kit is superior to what is already considered the standard to a trained and equipped military.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Emergency physician evaluation of a novel surgical cricothyroidotomy tool in simulated combat and clinical environments.
We sought to investigate the performance of a novel cricothyroidotomy CRIC device compared to the traditional surgical in both simulated combat environments and the emergency department (ED) setting. Twenty U. S. ⋯ Time to incision, time to procedural completion, and rate of major and minor complications were not significantly different between the standard surgical method and the CRIC device (p > 0.05). In the simulated ED setting, 60% of participants preferred the standard surgical method (95% confidence interval: 38.5-81.5), whereas in the simulated combat settings, 50% of participants preferred each device (95% confidence interval: 28.1-71.9). In our population, we observed similar operator performance characteristics and physician preferences between the 2 methods in all simulated cricothyroidotomy settings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The effects of a human patient simulator vs. a CD-ROM on performance.
Military health care personnel need to have skills relative to caring for patients on the battlefield. No studies have compared the two teaching strategies of using the human patient simulator (HPS) and a CD-ROM in caring for combat injuries. The objective of this study was to determine if there were statistically significant differences in HPS and CD-ROM educational strategies relative to caring for patients who have trauma. ⋯ In this study, the HPS method of instruction was a more effective method of teaching than the CD-ROM approach.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Ultrasound evaluation of cranial and long bone fractures in a cadaver model.
Ultrasound has been utilized in various settings for evaluation and treatment of skeletal injuries. Bone has different tissue acoustic impedance than soft tissue allowing visualization of the cortical disruption found in fractures. ⋯ Ultrasound by trained emergency medicine physicians can reliably identify fractures in the radius, tibia, frontal, and temporal bones in a very short amount of time, allowing for triage, treatment, and resource management.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A comparison of the effects of a high carbohydrate vs. a higher protein milk supplement following simulated mountain skirmishes.
This study compared the effects of a higher protein supplement manufactured from milk vs. a commercially available higher carbohydrate supplement on serum markers of muscle damage, anaerobic exercise, choice reaction time, and body composition during 2 weekends of vigorous hikes with simulated mountain skirmishes. Thirty-five university students, including Reserve Officers Training Corps cadets and athletes, carried 25% of their body weight (up to 26.4 kg) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hikes. Supplementation and Wingate tests followed each hike, and choice reaction testing preceded and followed each hike. ⋯ Body compositions did not change significantly during this study. Choice reaction times decreased following hikes and were significantly faster following consumption of the carbohydrate supplement (p < 0.04). Supplements including milk proteins and carbohydrates may improve endurance exercise and decision-making abilities of military personnel and endurance athletes.