Military medicine
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Long considered a danger point in patient care, handoffs and patient care transitions contribute to medical errors and adverse events. Without standardization of patient handoffs, communication breakdowns arise and critical patient information is lost. Minimal training and informal learning have led to a lack of understanding the process involved in this vital aspect of patient care. In 2017, the U.S. Army commissioned a report to study the process of patient handoffs and identify training gaps. Our report summarizes that process and makes recommendations for implementation. ⋯ The findings in this review highlight the need for standardized tools and techniques for patient handoffs in the U.S. Military's expeditionary care system. Future research is needed to trial verbal and nonverbal handoffs under field conditions to gather observational data to assess effectiveness. The results of our gap analyses may provide researchers insight for determining which handoffs to study. If standardized handoffs are utilized, training programs should incorporate the four critical elements into their curricula.
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Review Case Reports
An Atypical Cause of Hoarseness in a Patient With Thyroid Nodules.
Hoarseness due to vocal fold paresis (VFP) has a multitude of etiologies including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). During a clinical evaluation of a 58-year-old woman with long-standing hoarseness, an incidental finding of thyroid nodules was found to have VFP. ⋯ The VFP debut of SLE is extremely rare, and a literature review includes a handful of case reports (4 of a total of 37) since 1959. Only partial recovery of laryngeal function using glucocorticoids and Plaquenil was accomplished in the current case.
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Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and associated pain disorders are one of the leading causes for soldiers not being medically fit for deployment, impacting force capability and readiness. Musculoskeletal pain continues to be a leading cause of disability within military services and is associated with a substantial financial burden. A better understanding of the effectiveness of MSK pain management strategies is required. This review was designed to determine the efficacy of nonsurgical interventions, such as physiotherapy, exercise, pharmacology, and multidisciplinary programs, to manage MSK conditions in active serving military populations. ⋯ Currently available randomized clinical trials do not provide sufficient evidence to guide military organizations or health care professionals in making appropriate treatment decisions to manage MSK pain in active serving military personnel. Future research is essential to enable evidence-based recommendations for the effective management of MSK pain conditions in this unique population.
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Previous and limited assessments of breastfeeding in women serving on active duty in the U.S. military demonstrate varied and conflicting data regarding breastfeeding outcomes. Disparities exist within the military where enlisted service members have consistently lower rates of breastfeeding duration compared to officers. Yet, little is known about successful care practices and military policies that promote breastfeeding in military women. The aim of this systematic review is to examine care practices and military policies associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and duration among women serving in the U.S. military. ⋯ Certain perinatal practices designed to encourage early skin-to-skin contact appear to improve breastfeeding initiation and duration among women serving in the U.S. military. However, there is an overall lack of quality evidence supporting effective practices and policies associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and duration in this population. Given the recent movement toward policy changes that support pregnant and postpartum service members across services, more research is needed to determine the impact of these and other practices and policies on breastfeeding rates, specifically among enlisted service members who have demonstrated lower breastfeeding rates than officers.
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As suicides among military personnel continue to climb, we sought to determine best practices for supporting military mental health clinicians following patient suicide loss (i.e., postvention). ⋯ The literature converges on the need for formal postvention protocols that prioritize (1) training and education and (2) emotional and instrumental support for the clinician. Based on the scoped literature, we propose a simple postvention model for military mental health clinicians and recommend a controlled trial testing of its effectiveness.