Military Medicine

INTRODUCTION: Cervical spine immobilization in a low-resource environment is difficult secondary to limited equipment, prolonged transportation, and secondary complications. A structural aluminum malleable (SAM) splint is commonly utilized because of its availability and multipurpose intention. A one-step spray-on foam immobilization technique (Fast Cast) has been shown to be effective in lower-extremity splinting. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the ability of the Fast Cast to effectively immobilize the cervical spine in a head-to-head comparison against the SAM splint...

The DoD Cholinesterase Monitoring Program and Cholinesterase Reference Laboratory have safeguarded U.S. government employees in chemical defense for over five decades. Considering Russia's potential deployment of chemical warfare nerve agents in Ukraine, it is critical to maintain a robust cholinesterase testing program and its efficiency presently and in future.

INTRODUCTION: Dupuytren's contracture is a connective tissue disease characterized by an abnormal proliferation of collagen in the palm and fingers, which leads to a decline in hand function because of progressive joint flexion. In addition to surgical and percutaneous interventions, collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH, trade name Xiaflex) is an intralesional enzymatic treatment for adults with palpable cords. The objectives of this study are to evaluate factors predictive of recurrence following treatment with CCH and to review the outcomes of repeat treatments with CCH for recurrent contracture...

INTRODUCTION: Eye and vision disorders are estimated to impact 7.08 million people in the United States, including 1.62 million under the age of 40. This study uses the Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System (VEHSS) case definitions to assess the burden of eye and vision disorders in a universally insured, nationally representative population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective, cross-sectional study applied the VEHSS case definitions to TRICARE claims data collected from the Military Health System Data Repository and Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System during 2018...

INTRODUCTION: Sleep deprivation is rampant within the military population, and insufficient sleep can lead to physical and mental health problems impacting soldier's readiness and deployability. Past research has shown the importance of leadership's role in subordinates' sleep health. Understanding the values, beliefs, and quality of military leader sleep is essential to the development of effective interventions to optimize occupational performance and overall sleep health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the military leaders' values, beliefs, and sleep quality and the impact on occupational performance...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Because inadequate sleep impairs mission performance, the U.S. Army regards sleep as a core pillar of soldier readiness. There is an increasing incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among active duty (AD) service members, which is a disqualifying condition for initial enlistment. Moreover, a new diagnosis of OSA in the AD population often prompts a medical evaluation board, and if symptomatic OSA proves refractory to treatment, this may result in medical retirement...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Hysterectomy is the most common major gynecologic procedure performed in the USA. Surgical complications, such as venous thromboembolism (VTE), are known risks that can be mitigated by preoperative risk stratification and perioperative prophylaxis. Based on recent data, the current post-hysterectomy VTE rate is found to be 0.5%. Postoperative VTE significantly impacts health care costs and patients' quality of life. Additionally, for active duty personnel, it can negatively impact military readiness...

INTRODUCTION: Weight gain can contribute to osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, low back pain, and poor health-related quality of life. Weight trajectory patterns have been described in older veterans with limb loss; however, there is limited evidence of changes in weight in younger veterans with limb loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Service members with unilateral or bilateral lower limb amputations (LLAs) (and without an upper limb amputation) were included in this retrospective cohort analysis (n = 931)...

INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that requires multidisciplinary care. Evidence-based practice indicates that early intervention may improve long-term ASD outcomes. The Autism Resource Clinic (ARC) provides an educational session for guardians empowering them to build a personalized ASD team for their child. We examined the impact of guardian attendance of an ARC at a Military Treatment Facility on time to initiation of patient services and guardian stress level...

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is characterized by a dysregulated inflammatory response, which may result in severe hemodynamic instability and septic shock. The Seraph-100® Microbind® Affinity Blood Filter is a commercially available extracorporeal pathogen absorbent device with the ability to bind pathogens and cytokines present within the blood. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Seraph-100® for patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and septic shock...

INTRODUCTION: Photoplethysmography (PPG) is the science behind many commonly used medical devices such as the pulse oximeter. PPG changes, herein as "PPG dropouts," have been described in existing in vitro studies following artificially induced clot activation. Because COVID-19 causes increased arterial, venous, and microvascular clot formation, our hypothesis is that PPG dropouts identified in vitro can also be found in vivo in patients with COVID-19. The aim of this study is to evaluate PPG recordings and D-dimer levels for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and compare them with the PPG tracings from non-COVID controls...

INTRODUCTION: Female warfighters are at risk for sex-specific and frequently unrecognized urogenital health challenges that may impede their ability to serve. The constraints on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources by austere environments, whether at home or abroad, require women to practice unhealthy hygiene behaviors that jeopardize their urogenital health. In this manuscript, we examine the use of WASH resources by U.S. Army active duty servicewomen (ADSW) across three settings-home duty, field training, and deployment-to determine how the changing availability of WASH resources alters hygiene and sanitation practices in austere environments...

The recent article by Knisely et al. provides a comprehensive review and summary of recent literature describing simulation techniques, training strategies, and technologies to teach medics combat casualty care skills. Some of the results reported by Knisely et al. align with the findings of our team's work, and these findings may be helpful to military leadership with their ongoing efforts to maintain medical readiness. Accordingly, we provide some additional contextual understanding to the results of Knisely et al...

INTRODUCTION: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals in the USA experience higher rates of mental illness and preventable death than the general population. Published research demonstrates that AI/AN veterans experience similar disparities to other minorities compared to non-minority veterans; few studies, however, have assessed mental health outcomes in AI/AN active duty military members. The objective of this study was to determine differences in depression, anxiety, hazardous alcohol consumption, and suicidal ideation among AI/AN soldiers compared to soldiers of other races during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic...

INTRODUCTION: In recent conflicts, the Joint Theater Trauma System (JTTS) led the systematic approach to improve battlefield trauma care, substantially contributing to the unprecedented survival of combat casualties. The Joint Trauma System (JTS) was codified in 2016 to preserve the lessons learned and functions of the JTTS, including the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. Concurrently, Combatant Commands (CCMD) were directed to establish CCMD Trauma Systems (CTS) "modeled after the JTTS" and to maintain a baseline of core functions intended to rapidly scale as needed...

INTRODUCTION: Female warfighters are at increased risk of urogenital infections (UGIs) when serving in austere environments with varying levels of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene resources. Urogenital infections among servicewomen were among the top five reported medical encounters and one of the top seven reasons for medical evacuation from deployed locations between 2008 and 2013. In this study, we examine the use of water and sanitation resources across three environments (home duty station, field training, and deployment) and analyze associations between water, sanitation, and hygiene resource access and UGIs during training or deployment...

INTRODUCTION: PTSD is associated with negative health behaviors that increase chronic disease risk, yet health behaviors and their determinants are not well investigated in this context. One understudied mechanism of health behaviors is cognitive functioning. Deficits in cognitive functioning may undermine engagement in health-promoting behavior, thereby increasing the negative impact of PTSD. We tested three hypotheses: (1) Greater PTSD symptom severity is associated with less health-promoting behavior; (2) greater PTSD symptom severity is associated with poorer cognitive functioning across verbal memory, processing speed, attention, and executive functioning domains; and (3) verbal memory and executive functioning exhibit indirect effects on the relationship between PTSD and health-promoting behavior...

INTRODUCTION: The high prevalence of patellofemoral pain in military service members results in strength loss, pain, and functional limitations during required physical performance tasks. Knee pain is often the limiting factor during high-intensity exercise for strengthening and functional improvement, thus limiting certain therapies. Blood flow restriction (BFR) improves muscle strength when combined with resistance or aerobic exercise and may serve as a possible alternative to high-intensity training during recovery...