Stevens R, Pierce B, Tilley L. 22(4). 72 - 76. (Journal Article)
Abstract
Military medicine has made significant advancements in decreasing mortality by addressing the lethal triad - metabolic acidosis, coagulopathy, and hypothermia. However, casualties are still succumbing to injury. Recent conflict zones have led to the development of remarkable life-saving innovations, including the management of compressible hemorrhage and whole blood transfusions. Nevertheless, hypothermia prevention and treatment techniques remain relatively unchanged. Hypothermia prevention is anticipated to become more critical in future operations due to a predicted increase in evacuation times and reliance on Prolonged Casualty Care (PCC). This is likely secondary to increasingly distanced battlespaces and the mobility challenges of operating in semi-/non-permissive environments. Innovation is essential to combat this threat via active airway rewarming in the vulnerable patient. Thus, we propose the development, fabrication, and efficacy testing of a device in which we estimate being able to control temperature and humidity at physiologic levels in the PCC setting and beyond.
Keywords: Advanced Trauma Life Support care; airway management; critical care; emergency medicine; intellectual property; military medicine; patent; prehospital emergency care; prolonged casualty care; prolonged field care; resuscitation; technological innovations; war-related trauma; wilderness medicine hypothermia