Accession Number:

AD1048119

Title:

Preclinical Evaluation of the Effects of Aeromedical Evacuation on Military-Relevant Casualties

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,01 Oct 2016,30 Sep 2017

Corporate Author:

Naval Medical Research Center Silver Spring United States

Personal Author(s):

• McCarron, Richard
• Scultetus,Anke

Report Date:

2017-10-01

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

Current practice in Operation Enduring Freedom commonly includes transport of the critically injured patient to the Continental United States CONUS soon after stabilization and initial surgery. In general, service members can be returned to the US medical treatment facility in five-to-seven days. Aeromedical transport is associated with obvious concerns that include hypobaria, hypoxemia, air trapped within a body cavity, vibration, and hypothermia. Current guidelines for critical care air transport teams CCATT note that basic physiology parameters during transport are to be supported to include adequate oxygen saturation, ventilation, blood pressure etc. However, these parameters may be difficult to achieve. The impact of hypobaria on the transport of critically ill patients is unknown. Applying resuscitation guidelines for trauma developed over decades for ground-based scenarios to aeromedical transport is simply based on expert opinion. This grant incorporates three projects that address specific operational issues regarding optimization of aeromedical evacuation standards. In animal models of combat trauma, we will address the effects of timing, altitude, and oxygen supplementation during aeromedical evacuation.

Descriptors:

• aeromedical evacuation
• military medicine
• air TRANSPORTATION
• scenarios
• blood pressure
• patient care management
• trauma
• physiological effects
• altitude
• hypothermia

Subject Categories:

• Escape, Rescue and Survival

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE