Military medicine
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Cerebral air embolism occurs very seldom as a complication of central venous catheterization. We report a 57-year-old female with cerebral air embolism secondary to removal of a central venous catheter (CVC). The patient was treated with supportive measures and recovered well with minimal long-term injury. The prevention of air embolism related to central venous catheterization is discussed.
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Comparative Study
Physician attire in the military setting: does it make a difference to our patients?
To examine patient preference regarding physician attire and whether perception of medical competence was influenced by the physician's clothing style. ⋯ Overall, female patients in a military setting do not have a preference for specific physician attire and attire does not influence their perception of the doctor's competence. However, a greater number of dependent wives report physician attire has no influence on their comfort level discussing both general and personal topics when compared with active duty women. This finding highlights the unique role of the military uniform in the eyes of active duty women and their potential discomfort in discussing personal medical issues with a physician in military uniform.
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Evidenced based practice guidelines for nutrition support recommend implementation of early enteral nutrition (EEN) in certain patient populations, including trauma and critical illness. Early enteral nutrition has been associated with immune benefits, improved healing, reduced length of stay, and a trend towards a reduction in mortality. Rapid evacuation of combat casualties across the continuum of care presents challenges to implementing EEN during wartime operations. ⋯ S. military combat casualties evacuated from a Combat Support Hospital (CSH) in Iraq, from 1 November to 31 December 2006. The results of this study suggest that casualties who meet the criteria for EEN are not receiving it at the CSH in theater. Further research is needed to explore the impact of delayed enteral nutrition in the combat casualty.