Journal of special operations medicine : a peer reviewed journal for SOF medical professionals
-
Prompt recognition and treatment of a tension pneumothorax is critical to reducing mortality in both military and civilian settings. Physician assistants, Special Operations Forces (SOF) and conventional force Medics are often the first medical providers to care for combat trauma patients with penetrating chest trauma and frequently have limited diagnostic capabilities available to them due to mission constraints. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential for non-physician providers to determine the absence or presence of a pneumothorax in a porcine model, with the use of a portable ultrasound machine, after receiving minimal training. ⋯ Non-physician healthcare providers can accurately detect a pneumothorax with portable ultrasound after receiving minimal focused training.
-
Present and future Special Forces missions will require prolonged care of the trauma patient. The Special Forces Medic and Independent Duty Corpsman must be prepared to deal with these situations in the most challenging and austere environments. The implementation of damage control resuscitation for prolonged trauma care can maximize results with minimal support while preventing death, priming the patient for surgical success, and expediting recovery. Establishing this model of care and equipping medics with the essential equipment will have a lasting effect on the survival rate of our casualties, and negate the enemy's political victories when American and allied lives are lost.
-
Case Reports
Differential diagnosis of shoulder pain followed by progressive weakness: a case report.
Upper extremity weakness can be the result of a myriad of conditions ranging from contractile tissue injury, joint injury, or injury to central or peripheral nervous system components. Accurate diagnosis is important in establishing an optimal treatment regimen and sound prognosis. This report provides an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, a relatively rare cause of upper extremity weakness and dysfunction.
-
Inspiration through -7cm H2O resistance results in an increase in venous blood flow back to the heart and a subsequent increase in cardiac output and blood pressure in hypotensive animals and patients. Breathing through the impedance threshold device with 7cm H2O resistance (ITD-7) also reduces intracranial pressure with each inspiration, thereby providing greater blood flow to the brain. A new device called an ITD-7 was developed to exploit these physiological mechanisms to buy time in hypotensive War Fighters when other therapies are not readily available. Animal and clinical data with the ITD-7 demonstrate the potential value and limitations of this new non-invasive approach to enhancing circulation.