Fresh Whole Blood Transfusions in Coalition Military, Foreign National, and Enemy Combatant Patients During Operation Iraqi Freedom at a U.S. Combat Support Hospital

Abstract

Background United States military doctrine permits the use of fresh whole blood (FWB), donated by U.S. military personnel on site, for casualties with life-threatening injuries at combat support hospitals. U.S. Military Medical Department policy dictates that all patients treated at military facilities during combat (coalition military personnel, foreign nationals, and enemy combatants) are to be treated equally. The objectives of this study were to describe admission vital signs and laboratory values and injury location for patients transfused with FWB, and to determine if FWB was employed equally among all patient personnel categories at a combat support hospital. Methods This retrospective cohort study evaluated admission vital signs and laboratory values, injury location, and personnel category for all patients receiving FWB at a U.S. Army combat support hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, between January and December 2004. Results Eighty-seven patients received 545 units of FWB. Upon admission, the average (+ or - S.D.) heart rate was 144 bpm (+ or - 25); systolic blood pressure, 106 mmHg (+ or - 33); base deficit, 9 (+ or - 6.5); hemoglobin, 9.0 g/dl (+ or - 2.6); platelet concentration, 81.9 * 10 3 /mm 3 (+ or - 81); international normalized ratio (INR), 2.0 ( 1.1); and temperature 95.7 Degre F (+ or - 2.6). The percentages of intensive care patients who received FWB by personnel category were as follows: coalition soldiers, 51/592 (8.6%); foreign nationals, 25/347 (7.2%); and enemy combatants, 11/128 (8.5% (p = 0.38). The amount of FWB transfused by personnel category was as follows: coalition soldier, 4 units (1-35); foreign national, 4 units (1-36); and enemy combatant, 4 units (1 -11) ( p = 0.9).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 09, 2007
Accession Number
ADA630438

Entities

People

  • Alec C. Beekley
  • Donald Jenkins
  • James Sebesta
  • Jeremy G. Perkins
  • John B Holcomb
  • Kenneth Azarow
  • Kurt W. Grathwohl
  • Philip C Spinella
  • Thomas Repine

Organizations

  • United States Army Institute of Surgical Research

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Blood
  • Blood Transfusions
  • Combat Support
  • Combat Support Hospitals
  • Department Of Defense
  • Health Services
  • Hepatitis
  • Hospitals
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Information Science
  • Iraqi-War
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Medicine
  • Therapy
  • United States
  • War
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Trauma Surgery or Emergency Medicine.