Preclinical Evaluation of the Effects of Aeromedical Evacuation on Military-Relevant Casualties
Abstract
Current practice in Operation Enduring Freedom commonly includes transport of the critically injured patient to the Continental United States (CONUS) soon after stabilization and initial surgery. In general, service members can be returned to the US medical treatment facility in five-to-seven days. Aeromedical transport is associated with obvious concerns that include hypobaria, hypoxemia, air trapped within a body cavity, vibration, and hypothermia. Current guidelines for critical care air transport teams (CCATT) note that basic physiology parameters during transport are to be supported; to include adequate oxygen saturation, ventilation, blood pressure etc. However, these parameters may be difficult to achieve. The impact of hypobaria on the transport of critically ill patients is unknown. Applying resuscitation guidelines for trauma developed over decades for ground-based scenarios to aeromedical transport is simply based on expert opinion. This grant incorporates three projects that address specific operational issues regarding optimization of aeromedical evacuation standards. In animal models of combat trauma, we will address the effects of timing, altitude, and oxygen supplementation during aeromedical evacuation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1095123
Entities
People
- Anke H. Scultetus
Organizations
- Naval Medical Research Center