Stateside Care of Marines and Sailors Injured in Iraq at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland
Abstract
The National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) is located in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. It is often referred to simply as "the Naval Hospital" and is considered by the US Navy to be the flagship of navy medicine [1]. This world-renowned teaching hospital complex has provided care to war heroes serving in the United States military for more than 65 years. It is also referred to as "the President's Hospital," whose mission is to assure the readiness and care of the uniformed services and their families [1]. Before the start of the current conflict, it had been several years since the United States was involved in major combat operations. As a result, health care providers had limited experience in treating traumatic injuries associated with war fighting and the sequelae of infection and sepsis. Early lessons were learned in 2003 aboard the United States Naval Ship Comfort Tanker-Auxiliary Hospital 20 while treating primarily Iraqi soldiers, civilians, and some members of the coalition forces [2]. For the first time, many of the ICU team members were exposed to patients who had gunshot wounds, traumatic amputations, open and closed head injuries, blunt and penetrating blast injuries, burns covering a large body surface area, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and sepsis. Those experiences helped refine the approach taken to care for the service members and civilians who are critically injured and arrive at NNMC by way of the US Air Force Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA519177
Entities
People
- Barbie Cilento
- Eddie Lopez
- Loretta J. Aiken
- Patrice Bibeau
Organizations
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center