Marine Corps Operational Medicine: Determining Medical Supply Needs of the Surgical Company Ward, Lab, and Pharmacy
Abstract
Combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have emphasized the need for a Marine Corps surgical company that is modular and adaptable to changing battle environments. Just as the surgical company operating room may be split off to work nearly independently as a sort of forward resuscitative surgery section, other parts of the hospital can now find themselves working without their customary infrastructure. Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) was tasked by the Marine Corps Systems Command to review and update the Authorized Medical Allowance Lists (AMALs) for the surgical company ward, the laboratory, and the pharmacy. Specific aims were identified by Marine Corps Combat Development Command for each AMAL, including determining whether the pharmacy AMALs could be disestablished. The NHRC method of modeling clinical requirements was used to analyze the needs for each of the named surgical company functional areas. This includes identifying which clinical tasks need to be performed in each functional area, then identifying the supplies needed to complete the tasks. Input was also solicited from medical units currently deployed to Iraq. Finally, a subject matter expert panel was held at Camp Lejeune, NC, to review the NHRC findings and recommendations. This study resulted in doubling the number of critical care beds in the ward from 2 to 4, and providing the monitoring, ventilation, and warming capabilities to provide that care. The NHRC modeling process also demonstrated the feasibility of disestablishing the pharmacy AMALs without reducing the clinical capabilities of the surgical company. Research for this study also showed surgical companies are lacking a badly needed capability to quickly test donated blood for contagious diseases such as hepatitis. The Navy and the Marine Corps need to encourage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve such point-of-care tests for use by American military medical facilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 03, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA433817
Entities
People
- Gerry Pang
- Martin Hill
- Mike Galarneau
- Paula J. Konoske
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center