Medical Resource Allocation: Injury and Disease Incidence among Marines in Vietnam
Abstract
The Deployable Medical systems (DEPMEDS) initiative requires that estimates of the patient conditions expected to be present in a theater of operations be projected. These patient conditions are used to quantify the medical resources to be allocated during an operational scenario. Included among the patient conditions are battle injuries, and diseases and non-battle injuries (DNBI). The patient conditions were converted into their closest diagnostic equivalents within the recording system used at Navy impatient treatment facilities (ICD9). Frequencies of patient conditions (PCs) were determined for U.S. Marines serving in Vietnam. Rates of PCs per 1000 strength per day were computed and a proportional distribution was tabulated. The five highest rates of battle injury conditions were open wound chest/back, open wound leg, open wound shoulder, open wound hip/thigh, and wound face/jaw/neck; highest rates among DNBI conditions were: malaria, severe febrile illness, non-psychotic mental disorder, cellulitis, and joint disorders. Not all hospitalizations were accounted for by the patient condition codes schema. Keywords: Patient conditions, Battle injuries, Marines, Vietnam U.S. Navy medicine, Casualties.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA223195
Entities
People
- C. B. Nirona
- C. G. Blood
- D. K. Griffith
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center