Professional Soldiers ® - View Single Post - Drug-assisted airway management

Underwhelmed · 12-23-2010, 19:43

I stumbled on this while doing research for an updated TCCC presentation:

“The setting of the casualty care was at night in a non-permissive environment.The medic had sustained a sacral injury and damaged his NVG's during a hard landing on infil.The casualty had sustained a gunshot wound to the jaw.The medic was not called to the scene for ten minutes due to an ongoing firefight.The jaw was shattered and he had heavy maxillofacial bleeding.

The recovery position was attempted repeatedly, but the casualty refused to remain like that. Anxiolysis was attempted with Versed to facilitate maintaining the airway with position alone, but did not work.

The casualty became increasingly combative and the decision was made to perform the cric out of fear of completely losing the airway during evacuation.Due to the fact that the medic's NVGs were damaged, an operator (former 18D with two successful prior combat cric's) attempted the procedure with assistance by the medic.By then all landmarks had disappeared due to soft tissue swelling of the neck.Although complications resulted from the procedure, a definitive airway was established under extremely difficult conditions and the casualty lived...." http://www.medicalsci.com/files/03f_...attlefield.pdf

This got me curious as to what is available in the SOF medic's loadout, in addition to Versed. I don't imagine there is a whole lot more, given the prohibitively extensive equipment that you would (read: should) also have to confirm and monitor an intubation, but some juicy tidbits from an active 18D would shed a little more light on what is being used out there.

Any info would be appreciated.

John

12-23-2010, 19:43	#1
Underwhelmed Asset Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Manhattan, KS Posts: 13	Drug-assisted airway management I stumbled on this while doing research for an updated TCCC presentation: “The setting of the casualty care was at night in a non-permissive environment.The medic had sustained a sacral injury and damaged his NVG's during a hard landing on infil.The casualty had sustained a gunshot wound to the jaw.The medic was not called to the scene for ten minutes due to an ongoing firefight.The jaw was shattered and he had heavy maxillofacial bleeding. The recovery position was attempted repeatedly, but the casualty refused to remain like that. Anxiolysis was attempted with Versed to facilitate maintaining the airway with position alone, but did not work. The casualty became increasingly combative and the decision was made to perform the cric out of fear of completely losing the airway during evacuation.Due to the fact that the medic's NVGs were damaged, an operator (former 18D with two successful prior combat cric's) attempted the procedure with assistance by the medic.By then all landmarks had disappeared due to soft tissue swelling of the neck.Although complications resulted from the procedure, a definitive airway was established under extremely difficult conditions and the casualty lived...." http://www.medicalsci.com/files/03f_...attlefield.pdf This got me curious as to what is available in the SOF medic's loadout, in addition to Versed. I don't imagine there is a whole lot more, given the prohibitively extensive equipment that you would (read: should) also have to confirm and monitor an intubation, but some juicy tidbits from an active 18D would shed a little more light on what is being used out there. Any info would be appreciated. John __________________ "A rookie practices until he gets it right, and a professional practices until he gets it wrong. "
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