Aeromedical evacuations from Operation Iraqi Freedom: a descriptive study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe health patterns in evacuated military members during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and utilize demographic, diagnostic, and pre- and postdeployment health information to understand the utility of data collected for aeromedical evacuations.


METHODS
We conducted a descriptive analysis of U.S. evacuees from 2003 using data from the U.S. Transportation Command's Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System and the Defense Medical Surveillance System.


RESULTS
The typical patient was an Army male under the age of 29 requiring orthopedic or surgical care. Disease/nonbattle injuries were six times as common as battle injuries and 94% were classified as routine evacuees. Eighty-six percent had health data available in the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Two thirds had pre- and/or postdeployment questionnaire data.


CONCLUSIONS
Combining data sources increases our understanding of disease patterns in deployed troops. Targeted preventive interventions can then be implemented. Changes in the U.S. Transportation Command's Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System database can improve its utility as an epidemiological tool.
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Dale R
DR
Harman
Tomoko I
TI
Hooper
Gary D
GD
Gackstetter
D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008889:Military Personnel; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D014857:Warfare