Andrew D Fisher, MD, MPAS (1, 2) Geoff Shapiro, PhD, NRP (3) Steven G Schauer, DO, MS (4, 5, 6) Andrew P. Cap, MS, MD, PhD (4, 6) E Reed Smith, MD (7, 8) Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Medical Command, Texas Army National Guard, Austin, TX, USA Emergency Medical Services Program, George Washington University, Washington, DC USA US Army Institute of Surgical Research, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, M ..read more

The new version of TC 8-800 cuts out nearly 100 pages to distill a clear message for medics, NCOs, and officers: train to the modern standard of medicine. The TC clearly orders the training priorities: 1. TCCC – While trauma is only a small percentage of the patients we will treat, it constitutes the most deaths. 2. LPC – Because we do limited primary care and force health protection as the majority of our work. 3. PCC (PFC) – Because this is an ongoing and likely increasing operational problem that we WILL encounter despite our best planning. 4. CLS training – Because a high-functioning casu ..read more

Medics and corpsmen receive a fire hose of basic medical knowledge during their initial training. However, you can only learn and retain so much in a condensed military course. Once you arrive at your new unit, it is up to you and your leadership to engage in continuing medical education. This year-long weekly self-development framework is intended to provide a guided approach to learning the fundamental medical science that was introduced during AIT or A-school. This learning plan focuses primarily on anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology as the foundation for all other medical knowledge ..read more

Welcome to “Next Gen Shorts”, where we look to take a recent study focused on military and prehospital medicine, and condense it into a quick manageable read to ensure you get what’s most important for your practice. Today’s paper is on the safety of physical exertion following whole blood donation. The Background: The employment of whole blood (WB) in the prehospital environment demonstrates improved patient outcomes and is supported by Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and Joint Trauma System resuscitation guidelines, but logistical difficulties of acquisition and storage in remote ..read more

Welcome to “Next Gen Shorts”, where we look to take a recent study focused on military and prehospital medicine, and condense it into a quick manageable read to ensure you get what’s most important for your practice. Today’s paper discusses whether the use of ketamine in prehospital trauma increases patient mortality. The Background: Ketamine is well-known as an incredibly versatile medication for analgesia and sedation, further supported by hemodynamic stability compared to opioid-based medications.  These include less incidence of respiratory depression and hypotension, both of which a ..read more

Welcome to “Next Gen Shorts”, where we look to take a recent study focused on military and prehospital medicine, and condense it into a quick manageable read to ensure you get what’s most important for your practice. Today’s paper is on the utility of radial pulse palpation for estimating systolic blood pressure. The Background: Blood pressure (BP) assessment is an essential part of initial vital signs (VS) measurement, as well as overall evaluation of most patients, especially trauma.  Additionally, it is taught as part of foundational training for medical providers of all levels, inclu ..read more

By Jonathan C. Johnson and Andrew D. Fisher The internet and social media forums of which have become our greatest ally have begun to transform into an equally great adversary.  This system seems to be designed and masterfully perfected to allow for experts and novices alike to come together and discuss controversial topics, while promoting growth, research, and self-reflection. It appears there is a split and factions of groupthink and staunch supporters of one camp or another are building walls. While this is not new to our generation or any generation for that matter, the abundance of ..read more

In 2018, malaria-infected an estimated 228 million people, killing over 400,000, disproportionately affecting the young and the poor (World Health Organization, 2019). Malaria is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America (Suh, 2004). In 2003, the World Bank estimated that the disease is responsible for $12 billion U.S. dollars in economic revenue each year (Chima, 2003).  The World Health Organization estimates that 3.3 billion people, or approximately half the world’s population, are at r ..read more

https://bit.ly/2yDZSkR 5 APR 2020 REQUEST FOR SOF MEDICAL PROVIDERS SOF Friends and Other Military and Civilian Medical Providers and Medics, New York City is past the breaking point. The hospitals are truly overwhelmed. Besides the 5,000 beds or so being put in and around the city as field hospitals in field conditions, the major hospitals themselves are understaffed. At this point, we are putting together teams of docs, other providers, Nurses, and SOF medics. Our first mission is to staff a 200-bed field hospital which will be under the auspices of NY Presbyterian Hospital which is comprise ..read more

As a member of the United States Army, you have a wealth of educational resources available to you. A great example is the Army Medical Department’s Virtual Library (AVL). The AVL links to a wide array of medical references and educational resources for medical providers of all levels. Here is how you can sign up for your free account. TL;DR: Click here and fill out the application. Go to the AVL website by either clicking here, going to https://medlinet.amedd.army.mil/ or searching for “amedd virtual library” on your favorite search engine. Once on the AVL website, click the “My Athe ..read more