o. Combat is a frightening experience, especially if wounded. Reassure the
casualty. This can be simply telling him that you are there and are going to take care of
him. It can be as effective as morphing in relieving anxiety. Explain the care that is
being given.
p. Document clinical assessments, treatment rendered, and changes in the
casualty's status. Forward the documentation with the casualty to next level of care.
1-5.
CASUALTY EVACUATION CARE
a. At some point in the operation, the casualty will be scheduled for evacuation.
However, evacuation time may be quite variable, from minutes to hours to days. There
are a multitude of factors that will affect the ability to evacuate a casualty. Availability of
aircraft or vehicles, weather, tactical situation, and mission may all reflect the ability or
inability to evacuate casualties.
b. There are only minor differences in the care provided in the CASEVAC phase
verses the tactical field care phase.
(1) Additional medical personnel may accompany the evacuation asset and
assist the soldier medic on the ground. This may be important for the following reasons:
(a) The soldier medic may be among the casualties.
(b) The soldier medic may be dehydrated, hypothermic or otherwise
debilitated.
(c) The evacuation asset's medical equipment may need to be
prepared prior to evacuation.
(d) There may be multiple casualties that exceed the capability of the
soldier medic to care for simultaneously.
(2) Additional medical equipment can be brought with the evacuation asset
to augment the equipment the soldier medic currently has. This equipment may
include:
(a) Electronic monitoring equipment capable of measuring a casualty's
blood pressure, pulse, and pulse oximetry (oxygen saturation of the arterial blood).
(b) Oxygen should be available during this phase.
(c) Ringer's lactate at a rate of 250 ml per hour for casualties that are
not in shock should help to reverse dehydration, and in some special circumstances
blood products may be available during this phase.
MD0554
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