Background: Airway obstruction is the second leading cause of potentially preventable death on the battlefield. Prior to 2017, the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) recommended the surgical cricothyrotomy as the definitive airway of choice. More recently, the CoTCCC has recommended the iGel™ as the supraglottic airway (SGA) of choice. Data comparing these methods in medics are limited. We compared first-pass placement success among combat medics using a synthetic cadaver model. Methods: We conducted a randomized cross-over study of United States Army combat medics using a synthetic cadaver model. Participants performed a surgical cricothyrotomy using a method of their choosing versus placement of the SGA iGel in random order. The primary outcome was first-pass success. Secondary outcomes included time-to-placement, complications, placement failures, and self-reported participant preferences.

Background: Expedient resuscitation and emergent damage control interventions remain critical tools of modern combat casualty care. Although fortunately rare, the requirement for life and limb salvaging surgical intervention prior to arrival at traditional deployed medical treatment facilities may be required for the care of select casualties. The optimal employment of a surgical resuscitation team (SRT) may afford life and limb salvage in these unique situations. Methods: Fifteen years of after-action reports (AARs) from a highly specialized SRTs were reviewed. Patient demographics, specific details of encounter, team role, advanced emergent life and limb interventions, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: Data from 317 casualties (312 human, five canines) over 15 years were reviewed. Among human casualties, 20 had no signs of life at intercept, with only one (5%) surviving to reach a Military Treatment Facility (MTF). Among the 292 casualties with signs of life at intercept, SRTs were employed in a variety of roles, including MTF augmentation (48.6%), as a transport capability from other aeromedical platforms, critical care transport (CCT) between MTFs (27.7%), or as an in-flight damage control capability directly to point of injury (POI) (18.2%). In the context of these roles, the SRT performed in-flight life and limb preserving surgery for nine patients. Procedures performed included resuscitative thoracotomy (7/9; 77.8%), damage control laparotomy (1/9; 11.1%) and extremity fasciotomy for acute lower extremity compartment syndrome (1/11; 11%). Survival following in-flight resuscitative thoracotomy was 33% (1/3) when signs of life (SOL) were absent at intercept and 75% (3/4) among patients who lost SOL during transport. Conclusion: In-flight surgery by a specifically trained and experienced SRT can salvage life and limb for casualties of major combat injury. Additional research is required to determine optimal SRT utilization in present and future conflicts.

The JSOM podcast digs deeper into the articles and subjects that matter to our readers. Our podcast hosts, Captains Alex Merkle and Josh Randles, tackle articles from the journal based on merit, interest, and application for operators in the field. In addition, the podcast features a special, not to be missed Interview Series with leaders, doctors, and authors.

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh discuss the articles "Life and Limb In-Flight Surgical Intervention: Fifteen Years of Experience by Joint Medical Augmentation Unit Surgical Resuscitation Teams" and "Austere Surgical Team Management of an Unusual Tropical Disease: A Case Study in East Africa". Guest reviewer medic SGT Greg Spencer reviews "An Analysis and Comparison of Prehospital Trauma Care Provided by Medical Officers and Medics on the Battlefield". Finally, Alex and Josh review "Case Series on 2g Tranexamic Acid Flush From the 75th Ranger Regiment Casualty Database" with author MSG Simon Gonzalez.

THE Dr Frank Butler helps us review the state of combat care 20 years ago when the JSOM and TCCC both started. We learn about how he came to have an interest in improving the quality and delivery of combat care and the many different evolving roles he has had in combat casualty care. He also teaches us about how we arrived at recent changes in TCCC and future directions in care. Please join us for our great discussion with the plank holder of TCCC. Listen here.

MAJ Andrew Fisher, MS-4, PA-C, LP for a great review of pre-hospital whole blood in the military; where we are now and how we got there. He reminds us that, "everything old is new again." The first whole blood transfusion research was done by the military in 1940 (Armed Forces Blood Program) and was used extensively in WWII and the Korean War. But times change and lessons learned are lost to the sands of time as one generation of peacetime military surgeons hands off the reigns to the next. Listen here.

World-renowned tourniquet expert Dr. John Kragh. In this interview, Dr. Kragh takes us through his history in becoming a tourniquet expert as well as detailing the evolution of tourniquet use in combat situations as a battalion surgeon in Southwest Asia. Tourniquet use has evolved considerably even during the 20-years since the JSOM has been in publication. Be sure to read Dr. Kragh's contributions to this quarter's journal as a companion to this interview. Listen here.

CMSgt Michael Rubio, currently the commandant of the 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron of the PJ schoolhouse at Kirkland AFB. It's a great opportunity to hear from the best about how PJ training has changed during the past 20 years, and get a glimpse of where it is heading in the future. You can listen here. Look for another episode later this month.

Available on-demand

Resuscitation Summit Topics:

Ventilation Primer: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly In this 32-minute video, Anja Metzger, PhD, discusses the physiology of ventilation, the science of gasping, the dangers of hyper/hypoventilation and the latest (2020) AHA recommendations regarding ventilation.

Redefining Ventilation in EMS In this 20-minute video, James Hempstead, Battalion Chief EMS/Training for Richland Fire & EMS, shares why his organization transitioned to vents and how it relates to their overall EMS system improvement philosophy.

The JSOM is incredibly grateful to have the support of many institutions around the world. We would like to thank our recent institutional subscribers and re-subscribers for their support by acknowledging them in our eNewsletter and, when applicable, sharing their social media information. We currently have 56 active institutional subscriptions, reaching a potential 59,000+ readers!

This edition, we welcome back The Uniformed Services University for the Health Services (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland

Visit https://jsom.us/Library for a full list of institutions that are currently subscribing to the JSOM. We are beginning a campaign to expand our institutional subscriptions. If you think your company would benefit from an institutional subscription, let us know! We'll be happy to talk to you and get the ball rolling. You don't have to be a university or medical center to subscribe - we have many EMS units, government agencies, and military medical units both in the United States and abroad.

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Institutions receive either a print copy of our journal, digital access, or both. Digital subscribers have unlimited access to our full compendium of articles, journals, and the ATP-P. If you are a student, researcher, doctor, or other medical professional at one of these institutions, please contact your librarian for login details. Additionally, the digital resources are typically available 2-3 weeks ahead of print publication.

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SFC Jordan Dorn roles a patient towards him as SSG Jordan Wallace provides assistance during the prolonged field care phase of the Regional Health Command – Central Best Medic Competition on 9 Dec at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, La. Dorn and Wallace, who represent Irwin Army Community Hospital, Fort Riley, KS, arrived at Forward Operating Base Warrior aboard UH60 Black Hawk helicopters under simulated attack. They maneuvered under low visibility to injured personnel, provided immediate medical assistance then removed the casualty safely to cover for prolonged care throughout the night in austere condition.

Photo by Jean Graves

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