Page 4 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2014

rs Givens and Lynch began their Operational Medicine and enhance the intent of a quality medical journal,” this
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Din the Austere Environment Ongoing Series in the Fall issue presents three. Drs Ellis and Brown present the case
issue by providing “An Introduction to Medical Operations of a Special Operations Soldier who developed anaphylaxis
on the African Continent.” Authors Lynch, Verlo, Givens, and as a consequence of a bee sting, resulting in compromise
Munoz continue with a timely discussion of “Bites, Stings, of the operation. Authors Kirkpatrick and McKee describe
™
and Rigors: Clinical Considerations in African Operations.” the successful use of the iTClamp 50, a new hemorrhage
The second in a series of “This Is Africa” articles, they high- control device, to control potentially fatal hemorrhage in the
light the complexities of military environment. And Fisher and his colleagues present
operating in this large a case series showing that ketamine appeared to be a safe
continent, which is larger and effective battlefield analgesic and pro-
than the United States, vided adequate pain management for
China, India, Japan, severely injured Rangers.
and all of Europe—
combined. The news n n n
media report that This issue contains the results of two
US troops are surveys of Special Operations Forces
arriving in West (SOF). The first report concerns
Africa to help fight Special Forces Medical
the Ebola outbreak, Sergeants (SFMS), who
with slightly more are trained to provide
than 500 Service- trauma and medical
members in Liberia, an care in support of military
additional 115 in Dakar, Senegal, and operations and diplomatic
thousands of Soldiers scheduled to deploy to missions with indirect
the country in the coming weeks. However, physician oversight. Wilson and
13 other sub-Saharan nations currently have a DeZee present “Special Forces
US military presence engaged in actual military Medical Sergeants’ Perceptions
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operations. For example, the Ghanaian Army and Beliefs Regarding Their Current
participated in dismount patrol training during a Medical Sustainment Program:
Western Accord 14 exercise; US and African Implications for the
physicians conducted training in Chad; about Field,” based on their
4,000 US Soldiers are stationed at a major base survey of SFMS to assess
in Djibouti; the US military has had a base in their perceptions of the
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, since 2007; the current program designed
United States has had a military drone base at to sustain their medical skills.
Arba Minch, Ethiopia, since 2011; and USARAF
and Ghana Armed Forces share medical expertise. SOF medics have written and published numer-
“To succeed in Africa, the Special Operations provider ous practice reflections describing their practice
must consider how to meet these challenges in an environ- environments, clinical dilemmas, and suggestions for
ment where there may not be reliable evacuation, hospital- teaching and practice. The lack of translation of their experi-
ization, or logistics channels.” ential evidence into their curriculum has created a gap in evi-
dence-based curriculum development. In this second report,
n n n
“A Call for Innovation: Reflective Practices and Clinical Cur-
Dr Burnett gave timely information on Ebola hemorrhagic ricula of US Army Special Operations Forces Medics,” Rock-
fever in the Fall issue and now discusses chikungunya, a rap- lein analyzed SOF medics’ learning and practice patterns and
idly emerging infectious disease typically transmitted by the compared them with evidence in the interdisciplinary clinical
bite of an infected mosquito. Most commonly characterized literature.
by an acute onset of fever with often debilitating symmetric
joint discomfort that can relapse months after the initial in- n n n
fection, this infection is occurring worldwide. The first official use of dogs for military purposes in the United
States was during the Seminole Wars. Hounds were used in
n n n
the American Civil War to protect, send messages, and guard
Case reports have been considered vital to the advancement prisoners. Dogs currently have roles in both military opera-
of medicine, providing a mechanism for sharing new discovery tions and civilian law enforcement, and their protection is of
and rare observations. In support of the contention that “case great concern. Stojsih and her colleagues present the results
reports are fundamental to the scholarly practice of medicine of their retrospective study to characterize the mortality of

ii Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 14, Edition 4/Winter 2014