title: Supply consumption and disease surveillance during an overseas training exercise in Southeast Asia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 6th Infantry Division, Medical Activity Alaska.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Lesho
mesh_terms: D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000639:trends*; D008887:Military Medicine; D009017:Morbidity; D013785:Thailand; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology