Amedd | Emergency War Surgery

Review of Emergency War Surgery: the most beneficial tools inside the combat zone

Management of critically wounded soldiers is a complicated procedure and well documented in the Emergency War Surgery doctrine. Complex wounds need quick responses and triage of casualties, rapid extrication with the critically wounded to MTF?s (Medical Treatment units), with rapid decisions of treatment and temporary care until transportation can be secured to long care treatment facilities. But decisions like those described must be split second, particularly if bullets are flying. Worst case scenarios are after the mass casualties have a hot zone when extracting the injured cannot happen. The critically injured may have to wait for hours before the hot zone are generally secured to extract the injured. This will delay treatment to wounds, causing further complications for the injured and causing different strategy to care.

Emergency war surgery uses a straightforward concept, to carry out treatment for the critically injured with minimal loss of life or use of limb. In the event life takes precedence over loss of limb, surgeons must preserve as much of the limb to for any injured to have rehabilitation back to normalcy of life. There are plenty of new procedures preformed for injured soldiers now in current conflicts that were unavailable in the past wars. The Army Medical Department has completed research and provided the handbook Emergency war surgery medical guide for guidance to carry out several surgical procedures observed in today's modern warfare.

Paramedic training provides guidance for combat medics regarding how to properly triage injured on the battlefield. The special categories in triage allow combat medics to quickly go through the injured to get critically injured patients to the surgical units. Staffing of the MTF's depend on specific guidelines of war time needs and operations. Once the injured personnel are removed and extracted from the field, transportation towards the MTF's is secured by aeromedical transportation group. This really is decided based on the needs of the critically injured. If the facility nearest towards the combat zone is inadequate for proper care of the affected person, the fundamental needs of the patient are supplied in route to the nearest facility which can give the treatment. CASEVAC or causality evacuation is established at the point of when the patient is on the ground waiting for transport towards the MTF by the combat medics around the combat zone and the aeromedical group. The team of doctors, nurses and combat medics within this group will assess, care and treat life threatening injures to stabilize the individual then get through to the MTF for additional treatment.

Amedd or Army medicine defines the stabilization, treatment, and rehabilitation of the injured. Although with the Amedd, there are numerous protocols on each specific procedure. Providing the best care for the injured soldier after they leave the battle field and have been treated for their wounds is the step one to recovery. Amedd addresses the rehabilitation process as well for the soldier to regain full recovery revisit the battlefield or in the situation the soldier cannot return, rehabilitation with a long term care facility to return back to civilian life. The Army Medical Department has implemented several processes to recognize the requirement for extended care for the injured beyond the point of surgery into recovery at these long term care facilities; essentially the understanding that the soldier might have complications in recovery long after the battle. Rehabilitation guidelines have been established by the Army Medical Department to care for the soldier so come back to the battle is actually a smooth transition.

It is important to observe that the Emergency war surgery guide helps treat the soldiers around the field when causalities occur; getting the injured to the MTF's quickly and effectively so no matter what the injury is treatment can be applied and rehabilitation will start and the soldier could be a effective part of the team again.