Attending SHOT Show 2018? Strategic Operations, Inc. will host a live demo of a prolonged field care scenario in the ADS booth, #20415 on Jan. 24th at 2pm.
Archive for the ‘Medical’ Category
ADS To Host Prolonged Field Care Scenario At SHOT Show
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018RE Factor Tactical – Trauma Tape
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018Trauma Tape is like traditional medical tape but with the addition of vital signs and a MIST Report (for the military version) printed on it.
The idea behind the tape is it allows the user to write the patient’s vital signs on the tape, then place that tape on the patient for patient hand-off. Because it’s traditional medical tape it can also be used for all the normal applications of medical tape. This helps reduce bulk and stream-lines medical kits.
MATBOCK Monday – OsteoFX Casting System
Monday, December 18th, 2017The OsteoFX Casting System from MATBOCK is now fully in stock and has been added to the DAPA schedule. We introduced this a few months back, but MATBOCK now has the system fully available in different diameters from 2 inches (pediatric) up to 5 inches, all in various lengths for arms and legs. The cast system is easier to use than current systems, available at the same cost, and reduces some of the risks involved with current technologies. With the roll on method, there is reduced pain to the patient during application as well as the elimination of the risk of over tightening compared to wrapping methods. Additionally, because the system can breathe and dry, there is no reason for recasting in the event of exposure to water such as showering or swimming and these activities are encouraged with the OsteoFX. The material is also radiolucent for an X-rays that may be needed after application.
“We are very excited to bring this product to market, not only for the hospital systems in the rear, but also for the operators in the field. The casting system makes a great splint or brace in the event of a turned ankle and can be made removable in cases with risks of compartmentalization.”
FDA Approved
Reimbursable
Easy to apply with less mess
Lightweight and breathable
Water resistant for swimming and showering
Little to no skin issues
Superior radiolucency
Cost effective with reduced application times and reduced waste
www.matbock.com/products/osteofx-casting
SOARescue Launches the Pillbox: A Simple Fix for a Multitude of Medical Problems
Friday, November 24th, 2017The SOARescue Pillbox, born out of necessity and lessons learned. Remember that one time at band camp when your teammate had a headache, stuffy nose, or… ate something bad? If you’ve ever had this teammate, or you have been the one, you needed a simple quick fix to stay operational. As the “doc” we’ve been expected to have that fix, but every once and a while, we don’t. We created this kit to make sure you always have a simple fix close by. No this kit will not cure cancer or perform neurosurgery, but it will save your butt more times than not.
No matter your mission, the SOARescue Pillbox has you covered.
Designed to treat minor pain, injuries, and illnesses. Each box is stocked out with the most commonly needed over-the-counter medications. Each medication is individually packaged, and organized to provide you with quick access to only the items you need, while keeping the others protected. In case you forget, the label on the back even provides standard uses for each medication. While this box was initially developed for tactical medical providers, with input from Special Operations Medics, it is perfect for the outdoor adventurer alike. Whether you are a weekend traveler, team medic, public safety provider, SOF professional, this kit will always have you covered. We’ve all been there when we wish we had that one extra item. Now you can. Packed in a rugged, waterproof, and dustproof hard case. The SOARescue Pillbox comes stocked out, but you can add as you need, for yourself, team or family. It will launch and be available on Black Friday for $45.00!!!
www.soarescue.com/product-page/the-soarescue-pillbox
“The Pillbox fills a massive need within our team, this kit offers an easy fix for so many simple issues that could otherwise be force limiting. We are excited to place one in each of our cars and armored vehicles.”
–John S., Major Metropolitan SRT Team Leader
SOARescue Pillbox Contents:
For all lines of work Military, Public Safety, Industrial and many more.
Perfect for a patrol bag or a range bag.
Available in a clear or black lid. The choice is yours.
Hearing Loss is a Significant Factor for Many Veterans
Saturday, November 11th, 2017RESTON, Va., Nov. 9, 2017—Given the fact that more than 37.5 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss, a growing number of consumers are having hearing tests and using hearing aids and other hearing assistive technologies. While the American Academy of Audiology is helping to educate the public on the importance of good hearing health, the organization also is trying to reach out to veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs Annual Benefits Report for FY2016 indicates there were 1,084,069 veterans receiving disability compensation for hearing loss and 1,610,911 were being compensated for tinnitus (the perception of sound in the ears or head when no external noise is present, frequently is associated with hearing loss).
“When they were service members, many veterans were exposed to loud noises from sources such as aircraft, gunfire, or blasts. Hearing loss and tinnitus can be caused by loud sound exposure,” said Jackie Clark, Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Audiology and clinical professor at the UT Dallas School of Brain & Behavior Sciences. “Veterans who were exposed to blasts or who sustained a traumatic brain injury may also have difficulty with processing speech in background noise or in group situations, in addition to difficulty with balance function.”
Auditory processing disorder is a condition where some veterans score normally on hearing tests but have difficulty understanding speech especially when background noise is present. The condition often can be associated with blast exposure. Veterans with traumatic brain injury also may experience hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance problems.
The severity of hearing loss sometimes can be reduced, improved, or reversed through surgery or medication. In many cases hearing loss is permanent; however, hearing aids and other hearing assistive technologies can help to improve hearing and communication abilities.
Though in the general population most people with hearing loss could be helped by hearing aids, only about one in five who would benefit from them actually use them.
Tinnitus, another condition that many veterans suffer with, is the number one disability among veterans. People with tinnitus may experience ringing sounds, a buzzing noise, a high-pitched whistle, or numerous other sounds. “Causes and effects vary and there isn’t a cure yet for tinnitus but there are tinnitus management techniques for learning how to manage reactions to tinnitus,” said Dr. Lynn Henselman, Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, a collaboration between DoD and VA that focuses on the prevention, mitigation, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing and balance problems in military Service members and their families and veterans. One such approach is Progressive Tinnitus Management, a program developed in VA and used in the VA and DoD,” added Henselman.
“While many veterans suffer with hearing impairment from exposure to loud noises associated with their time in the military, it is important that all veterans have their hearing checked,” Henselman said.
Henselman continued, “For these veterans, they may not only have noise-induced hearing loss from their military service but now age-related hearing loss may impact their ability to hear. Often, those who have lived with a hearing loss for a long time don’t realize the severity and how much benefit they’d receive from hearing aids and other hearing rehabilitation strategies.”
The American Academy of Audiology recommends that everyone see an audiologist to have their hearing checked. The Academy provides a list of licensed audiologists on its website: www.audiology.org. Click on “Find an Audiologist.”
Sneak Peek – Velocity Systems Arc’teryx Assault Pack Medical Inserts
Tuesday, October 10th, 2017Although the set of inserts for the Arc’teryx LEAF Assault Pack won’t be released until SHOT Show 2018, they made a soft debut last night at the Arc’teryx LEAF event in Washington DC.
Look for Assault 30 & 45 variants with grab and go features to take full advantage of the Assault Pack’s design.
Rugged Blood for Rugged Men: Freeze-Dried Plasma Saves SOF Life
Tuesday, September 12th, 2017The life of a foreign partner nation force member was saved last month through MARSOC’s first operational use of freeze-dried plasma.
The foreign ally sustained life-threatening injuries during an operation in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, requiring battlefield trauma care made possible by MARSOC training and availability of the new product.
According to U.S. Navy Lt. Eric Green, force health protection officer, freeze-dried plasma is providing better medical care on the battlefield. Green is the study coordinator with MARSOC Health Services Support. He explained that freeze-dried plasma is a dehydrated version of plasma that replaces the clotting factors lost in blood. Typically, plasma is frozen and thawed over a period of five days, preventing quick use in a deployed setting.
Another disadvantage of traditional blood products for special operations is the need for additional equipment, such as refrigerators and electricity. This creates a higher target profile for special operations forces (SOF) teams, and presents a logistical challenge for Navy corpsmen. Use of such equipment, as well as timely casualty evacuation options, is not always possible during SOF missions. FDP eliminates the need for this equipment and buys precious time for corpsmen to treat the injured before evacuation.
“I think it reassures Raiders that when they’re in harm’s way, they have a life-saving product in the medical bags of their very capable corpsmen,” said Green.
With the need for freezing and refrigeration eliminated, FDP can sustain a wider range of temperatures and is therefore more stable and reliable than traditional plasma during military operations. The dehydrated state of the plasma allows for a shelf life of two years and is compatible with all blood types. Before MARSOC received approval to begin use of freeze-dried plasma, battlefield treatment options for hemorrhaging – the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield – were mainly limited to tourniquets and chemical clotting agents.
“It is stable in the field unlike whole blood or if we were to do fresh plasma or frozen plasma, so our guys can carry it with them in their resuscitative packs,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Necia Williams, FDP primary principal investigator and MARSOC force surgeon with MARSOC HSS. “They can quickly reconstitute it, infuse it to somebody and it buys time that is so critical.”
According to U.S. Navy Lt. Aaron Conway, Marine Raider Regiment surgeon with MARSOC HSS, reconstitution happens within six minutes and patients start showing improvement in vital signs minutes later. The precious time bought using FDP allows medical personnel to transfer patients to a hospital where they can receive full medical care. Conway, MARSOCs FDP principal investigator, said during medical care, FDP’s effects can be physically seen most in a patient when surgery and recovery is happening.
Since December 2016, every MARSOC special amphibious reconnaissance corpsman deploys with a supply of freeze-dried plasma and the experience to administer it. By October 2017, every MARSOC unit deployed will be outfitted with FDP.
Once the FDP has returned unused from a deployment it goes into quarantine and gets used during training exercises to prepare Navy corpsmen in its use. Corpsmen go through a rigorous academic and practical training process to prepare them for the field. They get practical experience before deploying and learn how to reconstitute and identify the indications to use FDP.
“We’ve trained with it, we’ve sourced it to our guys, and now we’ve actually got the combat wounded application of the product,” said Conway. “I think it is a tip of the spear life-saving measure.”
This life-saving measure is manufactured by French Centre de Transfusion Sanguine de Armees and used since 1994. They provide the U.S. with FDP while it is pending Food and Drug Administration approval and is under an Investigative New Drug protocol. Currently the use of FDP has been allowed within U.S. Special Operations Command. MARSOC was the second service component within U.S. Special Operations Command to receive approval for use of freeze-dried plasma.
In 2010, U.S. Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, then-SOCOM commander, learned that U.S. allied forces were using FDP successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan. McRaven wanted it made available to U.S. forces, so he pushed his plan and helped expedite the process between the White House and the FDA.
The main roadblock getting FDA approval was the historical spike of Hepatitis B after World War II, causing the stoppage of production and use by U.S. forces, resulting in rigorous testing and changes to the original formula. Plasma donors now undergo more testing for infectious diseases to prevent similar events. Freeze-dried plasma is expected to receive FDA approval by 2020.
Story by Cpl. Bryann Whitley
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Salvador R. Moreno)
Video Depicts RATS Tourniquet Efficacy Comfirmed by Doppler
Wednesday, September 6th, 2017There has been a great deal pushback on the Rapid Application (RATS) Tourniquet since it was released several years ago. Critics have been asking to see it used in conjunction with Doppler Ultrasound in order to prove its efficacy. What the Doppler does is determine whether blood flow has actually stopped after Application of the Tourniquet. In this video, inventor Jeff Kirkham demonstrates just that.
Jeff Kirkham is a Special Forces NCO with over 28 years of active and Guard experience. In fact he still serves in 19th Group. He’s also served as a DEA special agent.
