Lessons learned from modern military surgery.
The era of global terrorism and asymmetric warfare heralded by the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States have blurred the traditional lines between civilian and military trauma. The lessons learned by physicians in the theaters of war, particularly regarding the response to mass casualties, blast and fragmentation injuries, and resuscitation of casualties in austere environments, likely resonate strongly with civilian trauma surgeons in the current era. The evolution of a streamlined trauma system in the theaters of operations, the introduction of an in-theater institution review board process, and dedicated personnel to collect combat casualty data have resulted in improved data capture and realtime, on-the-scene research.
Beekley
Alec C
AC
US Army Medical Corps, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Fitzsimmons Avenue, Fort Lewis, WA 98431, USA. alec.beekley@amedd.army.mil
Starnes
Benjamin W
BW
Sebesta
James A
JA
D000552:Ambulances; D000698:Analgesia; D001458:Bandages; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control; D007493:Iraq; D008887:Military Medicine; D011481:Protective Clothing; D013907:Thoracostomy; D014111:Tourniquets; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014218:Triage; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery*