New technologies help save lives on the front lines. By Melanie Zahler and Bart Gray The “golden hour” is a well-known window in trauma response. Rescue workers are keenly aware that the medical care provided during the first 60 minutes following an injury can have a dramatic impact on the outcome of the case. In military settings, treating injuries during the golden hour presents unique challenges due to the severity of the injuries suffered, the conditions on the field at the time that medical care is being delivered, and the difficulties faced in evacuating our wounded warriors to safety. Data shows that more than 90 percent of severe wound casualties die within the first hour after injury if advanced trauma life support is not administered. Approximately half of these casualties bleed to death. Given these challenges, technologies that can help combat medics treat patients quickly and effectively are vital. While the word technology conjures images of electronics for many people, in medical applications technology can be quite simple. Even small details like a bandage adhesive can have an important impact on a treatment’s effectiveness and the ultimate result for the patient. At the same time, advances in high-tech medical tools are also enabling impressive new breakthroughs in military medicine. In this environment, the military needs solutions for all aspects of medical care—both simple and complex.
Advances in Auscultation One of the most fundamental technologies in trauma response is the stethoscope. Even this relatively simple technology has undergone enhancements that help make it more useful in military applications. For example, a recently introduced stethoscope with a black-plated chestpiece and eartubes helps medics deliver treatment in the field more discreetly. With no exposed silver metal parts that could glint in the sun and attract unwanted attention, medics can focus more of their attention on the patient. In addition, recent improvements in tele-auscultation technology hold significant promise for military applications. The promise of this technology for military applications is apparent. With reliable tele-auscultation 22 | MMT 15.8
capabilities, combat medics can better communicate with experts far removed from their location, allowing them to identify problems they may not have detected on their own.
Wound Care Innovations While stethoscopes exemplify the hightech improvements that can benefit combat medicine, promising advances have been made in simpler technologies as well. Wound care solutions are of particular interest to the military, and a number of innovative products in this category are changing what is possible in the field. In combat, an adhesive primary wound closure designed for fast application can be applied very quickly to close a wound, and then easily removed once the patient has been transported. Adhesive primary wound closures are available in widths from 10 mm to 100 mm, and can be combined to achieve the length needed or to close a curved wound. This versatility makes them a valuable part of the combat medic’s toolkit. Clinical results also demonstrate the efficacy of the closures; a formal trial of lacerations treated with these skin closures versus sutures found the adhesive closures to be comparable to sutures in strength and performance. An additional study found these closures to have a faster closure time than sutures, with patients reporting less pain. Dressings are also an important tool in wound care, and new technologies have been applied to these as well. One of the most important features of a wound dressing is breathability—allowing oxygen in and moisture vapor out. By allowing the skin to function normally, a dressing can promote healing while preventing infection. Today’s dressings offer just these capabilities, with additional features that offer added convenience for health care providers. Clear dressings are available that can be left in place on a wound to promote faster healing, while still allowing care providers to monitor the color of drainage, the condition of periwound skin and the condition of the wound bed. This ability to monitor the wound without removing the dressing saves money and helps
promote faster healing. These dressings are also designed with a border area that can be written on with marker, which lets health care providers mark the date the dressing was applied and other relevant notes. Medical tape is another important tool in the combat medic’s kit, and new developments have been made in this technology as well. Traditional medical tape increases its adhesion over time, which can result in a painful removal procedure, ripping off skin and hair. However, a new silicone tape has been introduced with a softer and more comfortable adhesive that can be removed with minimal stripping of skin cells or pulling of hair. Because of this property, the tape can also be repositioned, as its surface does not pull off skin cells at a rate that compromises later adhesion. This tape maintains a constant adhesive strength for as long as it is left in place. With a product like this, health care providers can easily lift a gauze dressing and then replace it, with no need for new tape.
Tools for Saving Lives With more effective tools for assessing casualties and treating them quickly, combat medics can make even better use of the golden hour. In addition to providing more effective treatment, the right technologies can also enable faster and more comfortable healing for our wounded warriors. Whether a servicemember requires an assessment from a physician hundreds or thousands of miles away, or simply a more comfortable tape to hold on a gauze pad, the science exists to meet that need. These advances in medical technology are helping equip today’s military medical personnel with an impressive array of tools that can help save lives on the front lines. O
Melanie Zahler is director of strategic accounts, 3M, and Bart Gray is business development manager, 3M Defense. For more information, contact MMT Editor Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.MMT-kmi.com.
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