Emergency War Surgery 2014

This is the 2014 update to the 2004 version.

Information in this edition reflects lessons learned from American involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and represents state-of-the-art principles and practices of forward trauma surgery. This publication is not a first aid manual and is intended for physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice medics and corpsmen involved in providing emergency medical and trauma care near the battle space.  This publication expertly addresses the appropriate medical management of blast wounds, burns, multiple penetrating injuries, as well as other battle and non-battle injuries.

Specific chapters cover the following topics:

• Weapons Effects and War Wounds-Treat the wound, not the weapon, explosive injuries, and ballistics injuries including 5.56mm and 7.62mm.
• Mass Casualty and Triage-Triage categories and decision making and emergency treatment area setup.
• Airway/Breathing-Initial airway management, ventilation, intubation, difficult airways, and surgical crichothyrotomy.
• Hemorrhage Control-Bleeding control, tourniquets, pressure points, dressings, bandages, hemostatic agents, and controlled hypotension.
• Shock, Resuscitation, and Vascular Access-Treatment of hypovolemic shock, vascular access, subclavian vein access, internal jugular venipuncture, saphenous vein cut downs, and intraosseous infusion.
• Anesthesia-Indications, rapid sequence intubation, indications and dosing recommendations for narcotics and muscle relaxants.
• Soft Tissue and Open Joint Injuries-Pre-surgical care, surgical wound management, and wound care.
• Infections-Diagnosis of a wound infection, common microorganisms causing battlefield infections, recommendations to prevent infections associated with combat related injuries, antimicrobial agent selection including preferred agents and alternate agents with appropriate administration and dosing guidelines.
• Critical Care-Shock resuscitation, fluid and electrolyte management, treatment of acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure, unstable angina, and other acute medical conditions.
• Damage Control Surgery-Pre-hospital and emergency resuscitation and critical care.
• Face and Neck Injuries-Immediate management of face and neck injuries and facial bone fractures.
• Ocular Injuries-Immediate treatment, treatment of chemical injuries, corneal abrasions, and foreign bodies.
• Thoracic Injuries-Tension pneumothorax, hemothorax, open pneumothorax (sucking chest wound), flail chest, chest tube placement, and emergency thoracotomy.
• Gynecologic Trauma and Emergencies-Emergency delivery and emergency Cesarean section and neonatal resuscitation.
• Extremity Fractures-Wound management
• Burns-Point of injury care, primary survey, estimation of fluid resuscitation needs, burn resuscitation, burn and wound care.
• Environmental Injuries-Trench foot and frostbite, field and medical facility treatment, hypothermia treatment, heat injury and heat stroke, altitude illness and acute mountain sickness, high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema,
• Radiological Injuries-Treatment of injuries and illnesses from conventional nuclear weapons and radiological dispersal devices (dirty bombs.)
• Biological Warfare Agents-Hemorrhagic fever, Hanta, Ebola, Lassa, Rift Valley, botulinum, ricin, anthrax, plague, cholera, and tularemia treatment.
• Chemical Injuries-Treatment of nerve agents, vesicants, and choking agents.
• Pediatric Care-Fluid, caloric, and protein requirements for children, normal vital signs, pediatric resuscitation equipment and supplies, commonly used drugs and dosages, surgical management
• Battlefield Transfusions
• Emergency Whole Blood Collection
• Product Manufacturers