Accession Number:

ADA616405

Title:

A Review of the First 10 Years of Critical Care Aeromedical Transport During Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom The Importance of Evacuation Timing

Descriptive Note:

Journal article

Corporate Author:

SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH

Personal Author(s):

• Ingalls, Nichole
• Zonies, David
• Bailey, Jeffrey A.
• Martin, Kathleen D.
• Iddins, Bart O.
• Carlton, Paul K.
• Hanseman, Dennis
• Branson, Richard
• Dorlac, Warren
• Johannigman, Jay

Report Date:

2014-06-25

Pagination or Media Count:

8.0

Abstract:

IMPORTANCE Advances in the care of the injured patient are perhaps the only benefit of military conflict. One of the unique aspects of the military medical care system that emerged during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom has been the opportunity to apply existing civilian trauma system standards to the provision of combat casualty care across an evolving theater of operations. OBJECTIVES To identify differences in mortality for soldiers undergoing early and rapid evacuation from the combat theater and to evaluate the capabilities of the Critical Care Air Transport Team CCATT and Joint Theater Trauma Registry databases to provide adequate data to support future initiatives for improvement of performance. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective review of CCATT records and the Joint Theater Trauma Registry from September 11, 2001, to December 31, 2010, for the in-theater military medicine health system, including centers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Germany. Of 2899 CCATT transport records, those for 975 individuals had all the required data elements. EXPOSURE Rapid evacuation by the CCATT. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Survival as a function of time from injury to arrival at the role IV facility at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. RESULTS The patient cohort demonstrated a mean Injury Severity Score of 23.7 and an overall 30-day mortality of 2.1. Mortality en route was less than 0.02. Statistically significant differences between survivors and decedents with respect to the Injury Severity Score mean SD, 23.4 12.4 vs 37.7 16.5 P .001, cumulative volume of blood transfused among the patients in each group who received a transfusion P .001, worst base deficit mean SD, 3.4 5.0 vs 7.8 6.9 P .02, and worst international normalized ratio median interquartile range, 1.2 1.0-1.4 vs 1.4 1.1-2.2 P .03 were observed.

Descriptors:

• *AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION
• *MILITARY MEDICINE
• AFGHANISTAN CONFLICT
• IRAQI WAR
• MILITARY HISTORY
• MORTALITY RATE
• SURVIVAL(PERSONNEL)
• TIME
• TRAUMA
• WOUNDS AND INJURIES

Subject Categories:

• Medicine and Medical Research
• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics
• Escape, Rescue and Survival

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE