Supply consumption and disease surveillance during an overseas training exercise in Southeast Asia.
In order to assist future medical officers in planning for overseas deployment to austere areas where resupply is non-existent and support from higher echelons is extremely limited, we surveyed the most common medical problems and most frequently used drugs during a 6-week deployment of 1,159 troops to Khorat, Thailand, from April 21 to June 1, 1992. We consumed 358 l of parenteral fluids--markedly less than anticipated. Ophthalmic solutions, especially antiviral and steroid, were needed more than anticipated. With an attack rate of 9.7%, orthopedic injuries were encountered most frequently. Overall attack rate for all injuries and diseases combined was 34%. Eight patients required hospitalization at local native hospitals longer than 24 hours, and two patients required evacuation to tertiary care centers in CONUS.
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6th Infantry Division, Medical Activity Alaska.
D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000639:trends*; D008887:Military Medicine; D009017:Morbidity; D013785:Thailand; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology