General Question-First Aid/Medics

[Herrmannek]

I'm curious how instant medical help/first aid is orginised in your military...
What kind of training so called "medics" been trough?
How many of them is in the squad/team/unit?
What kind of med. treatment they can perform?
What equipment they have and what medicnes they carry?
How looks further aid?

Can you post some photos? Maybe real life rescue photos, just don't breake any rules while doing it, so no excesive profanity, no direct linking to graphic material, etc...

[11F5S]

The most highly trained "medic" in the US Army is the SF Medical Sergeant

Here is an overview of the scope of their initial 46 weeks of training.

Basic Life Support/Automatic External Defibrillation (AED); pharmaceutical calculations; anatomy; physiology; pathophysiology; medical terminology; basic physical exam techniques; medical documentation; pharmacology; basic airway management; medical patient assessment; advanced airway management; prehospital trauma emergencies; patient management tasks/skills; advanced trauma skills; operating room procedures; minor surgical skills; obstetric and pediatric emergencies; crdiac pharmacology; Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), clinical/ambulance rotation; extended care to the trauma patient in a field environment; mass casualty; military triage system; medical mission planning; medical threat; preventive medicine; physical examination; veterinary; dental laboratory; medical diseases and case studies; nursing; initial and long-term wound care; echelons of care (EOC) including training in combat trauma management, UW hospital, surgical procedures, preanesthesia, anesthesia, postanesthesia care, nursing care, records and reports, radiology, and central materials supply; attends a special operations clinical training site (30 days at a U.S. Army medical training facility within CONUS) including clinical training/experience and evaluation on ability to apply patient assemssment/management/care skills in various clinical settings; rotations through surgery, dermatology, pediatrics, orthopedics, radiology, preventive medicine/community health, and the outpatient/family practice clinics.

Other Spec Ops Combat Medics (Rangers Battalions, SEAL's etc.) go through the 24 week course.

Basic Life Support/Automatic External Defibrillation (AED); pharmaceutical calculations; anatomy; physiology; pathophysiology; medical terminology; basic physical exam techniques; medical documentation; pharmacology; basic airway management; medical patient assessment; advanced airway management; patient management skills; pre-hospital trauma emergencies and care; advanced trauma tasks/skills; operating room procedures; minor surgical skills; NREMP-Basic examination; obstetrics and pediatric emergencies; cardiac pharmacology; Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS); EMT Paramedic clinical rotation and field internship (consists of 2 weeks ambulance, 2 weeks of hospital, and 4 weeks of paramedic testing preparation); Hospital rotation: rotations in the emergency department, labor and delivery, surgical intensive care, pediatric emergency department, and operating room; Ambulance rotation: assignment to an Advanced LIfe Support EMS unit responsible for responding to a variety of 911 emergency calls; NREMT-Paramedic exam; care of the trauma patient in a field environment; preventive medicine; nursing care; 30 hours of clinical rotations in clinics located on Fort Bragg, NC, conducting sick call under the supervision of a physician or physician's assistant.

Training for other "medics" http://www.goarmy.com/jobs/mos/mos91W.asp

[Herrmannek]

What about normal units..haw they deal with injuries?

[Sabre]

Whack a field dressing on and hope the MO gets there quickly!

Seriously, all soldiers are trained in assessing casualties and prioritising them for evacuation (triage). At levels below the RMO (Regimental Medical Officer, a doctor) the priority is to get the casualties out of the immediate area of danger and back to the CAP (Company Aid Post).

Take, for example, the scenario of a Platoon advance to contact. The lead section gets contacted and one man is injured. The platoon commander will recieve in the contact report from the setion commander the information that one of his men is injured. The Platoon Sgt. will also know. It is his responsibility (along with ammo and POWs) to evacuate the wounded. The platoon will do whatever it has decided to do (attack, hold firm etc) and then the casualty will be evacuated at the earliest opportunity.

Meanwhile, the section can deal with the casualty with their equipment/training. No one will be a designated medic, but they have all had training. Often, a section will carry field dressings, artificial (guydel) airways, asherman chest seals etc in their med kits. They are trained to assess A-B-C and then treat after each stage. Ie: clear the airway or insert a guydel airway, perform 'mouth-to-mouth', apply field dressings or chest seals over open wounds. They also carry morphine auto injectors. Soldiers are not taught to commence CPR in the field, it is very unsuccessful anyway and will tire you out, putting you at risk of being injured.

The next stage is for the Pltn Sgt to get that man out of the danger area and into the hands of the CMTs (Combat Medical Technicians). They are effectively 'battlefield paramedics' and carry fluid (colloid) and IV sets, N-P airways, Bag and masks, adrenaline etc. They attempt to stabilise the casualty before/during transport to the RAP. This can be done at the CAP where the CSM (Company Sergeant Major) is, depending on transport available. The CAP may just be a landrover or even just the CSM! The CMTs also assess the casualty and may have to prioritise other casualties (from other platoons) over him. The aim is to get back to the RAP where the RMO is so (s)he can treat the casualty or send him on to a field hospital.

So, the 'pathway' is:

1. Section (via Pln. Sgt./CMTs, like scene of accident)
2. CAP (CMTs/CSM, like paramedics/ambulance)
3. RAP (RMO/CMTs, like A&E)
4. Field Hospital (field surgical team, like being sent up to theatre)

Of course, recce units often undertake further medical training to enable them to deal with likely injuries, as they will not be easily evacuted.

[Herrmannek]

THanks..very informative post...

[marktigger]

UK CAS EVAC CHAIN
Role 1
1. buddy aid provided by section or team medic if available
2.company aid post a regimental med assistant/or a combat med tech of RAMC
3.Evacuated to Regimental aid post or medical section of RAMC field ambulance. will see doctor or regimental nursing officer

Role 2
evacuated by CS med regt or GS med regt to a Dressing station were first aid and continuing care refined. May be operated on to stabilise by a field surgical team. Has a limited holding capibility. Evacuation by GS amb regt to

Role 3
Field hospital where will be seen by doctors/nuses/physios' etc can be seen by specilised teams burns/neuro/head and neck. If serious ITU/HDU facilities are available. Surgery to further stabilise can be carried out here or post op rest periods. When stable evacuated by air/sea or what ever means to role 4

role 4
UK National Health Service for definitive treatment

at any stage if fit casualty will be returned to unit. from role 2 DS and Hosp will provide local Role1/2 facilities and if necessary the DS can be enhanced to R2+


http://www.ta.mod.uk/ta/medical/fieldhospital/fieldhospital.html

over view of UK field hospital