Page 4 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Summer 2016

by Allison Esposito, Managing Editor

MAJOR GENERAL HAROLD “HARRY” J. GREENE AWARD
FOR INNOVATION FOR 2015

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e recently learned of a timely contribution by Kragh JF Jr, Dubick MA. Battlefield tourniquets: les-
WDrs Kragh and Dubick, as detailed in the follow- sons learned in moving current care toward best care
ing abstract. in an Army Medical Department at war. US Army Med
Dep J. Apr-Sep;(2–16):29–36, 2016. Bleeding preven-
COL (Ret) Kragh, who is the JSOM Senior Editor as well tion and control by tourniquet use by out-of-hospital
as a Bleeding Control Researcher, was kind enough to caregivers is a major breakthrough in military medicine
give us some background on their study: of current wars. The present review documents devel-
opments in tourniquet practices since 2001 among
the US military services for aid in improving doctrine,
“I have been pointing out a new wording of a policy, and especially care in wars to come. Tourniquets
need in operational medicine that may help are an adjunct for resuscitation in self-care and buddy
focus research priorities: a focus on the user, aid and today are issued to all military servicepersons
especially the end user in caregiving. This new who deploy into a combat zone. In the US Army, virtu-
wording is meant to get the medics’ needs into ally every Soldier is trained in first aid tourniquet use;
a system-friendly and medic-friendly spot so that since 2009 they are instructed early and often to use
development of the medic can be facilitated them early and often. Despite substantial knowledge
more than presently. It’s a refinement of the lingo gains among the services in tourniquet use and result-
of operational medicine. Our works at JSOM are ing improvements in casualty survival, current evidence
beginning to use it already, because JSOM is the shows persistent difficulties in achieving best care with
tip of the spear of operational medicine.” tourniquet use for individual trauma patients. Never-
theless, contemporary tourniquet use incorporates key

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