Not all PFC is trauma. Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya and others will take you out of the fight if given the chance. In this episode CAPT Ryan Maves talks about some of the more concerning and prevalent diseases encountered by deployed military personnel and partner forces and what you can do about it before an infection becomes debilitating or life threatening.
Why do we care about sepsis in prolonged field care? What can we do about septic shock with what we are normally carrying on a deployment? How do you mix an epinephrine drip? Dr. Maves lays it all out in about 20 minutes.
When you can’t take cold stored whole blood with you and not all of your soldiers are titered, a walking blood bank can mean the difference between life and death for a patient in hemorrhagic shock. With the mounting evidence suggesting early blood is essential and not just a good idea, you need to have a plan in order to hit the 30 minute target.
Hospital rotations for medical proficiency training give medics who operate in the field the opportunity to see what “right” looks like. Knowing this and understanding treatment principles can allow a flexible medic to adapt to unique situations in the absence of protocols, guidelines and evidence. If properly coordinated and supported, MPTs can be an invaluable and eye opening experience. When thrown together with a naive or indifferent staff or unmotivated medic, it can be a huge waste of time and money for everyone involved.
So what is different than what we already have in the THOR recommendations, the JTS DCR clinical Practice Guideline and the Ranger Regiment TDCR? No hextend?! Calcium with the 1st unit of blood?! TXA slow push?! What if the patient is not responding to resuscitation efforts? This is a guideline truly written for the Medic working despite lack of help or resources in an austere environment…