Page 154 - JSOM Summer 2018

but defeated padlock, and the gate swung open. While Ben was
engaged in breaching the lock, the patient began vomiting and
required some lateral positioning to clear his airway.
We knew there was a helicopter inbound and as we moved
through the gate, we were ushered into a full-sized Blackhawk
simulator complete with sound and downdraft supplied by
ITTS. This was one of the highlights of the competition and
demonstrated the commitment to authenticity by the organiz-
ers of the event.
We loaded the stretcher into the helicopter and were advised
we would be traveling with the patient. Once inside, we reas-
sessed the patient and decided a definitive airway was required.
Ben conducted a cricothyrotomy while I gained intravenous
access. Smoke was billowing into the cabin at this point, and
Ben, fully immersed in the simulation, became very concerned
that we were going to have to bail out the aircraft in a hurry.
After reassurance from the aircrew that we were not facing
a crash landing, we continued and attached the patient to a
SAVE II ventilator and provided some ketamine for ongoing
sedation.
We were then notified that the aircrewman was suffering from
chest pain. I was eager not to let this become a huge distrac-
tion and so quickly assessed that he had not been shot among Fostering Development—
all the action. After noting there were no injuries and that he “Competition to Advance Capability”
had a history of heart problems, I administered some aspirin
and provided some intramuscular analgesia. He was then left Like the title of this article, we believe that competition indeed
in his chair and monitored with the pilot being asked to notify advances capability. In the absence of real threat, the most sig-
our receiving hospital of a second medical patient. nificant stressor is to push an individual or team to the limit,
test their composure, skills, communication, and resolve in
On landing, we were faced with our final station, technical competition.
rescue. Ben and I had very little training in this area and were
provided with a quick brief on the CTOMS Trace System the The desire to represent, overcome, and prevail in a competitive
day before the completion. situation also pushes one to apply themselves in the lead-up
and to do the preparatory legwork, getting out of one’s com-
We now had 12 minutes to move our casualty via a rope hoist
in a SKEDKO stretcher from the ground, onto the top of a fort zone and trying new techniques. We also found that being
three-story building, across the roof of the building, and then forced to run with a standardized kit load out meant that we
lower him down two stories to the finish line. We had one were genuinely reliant on creating depth in our skills, knowl-
CTOMS Trace system, a quick soldiers five on what to do, edge, and physical capability instead of relying on multiple
and the eagerness to make sure that we completed the stand. pieces of specialized equipment.
We would like to commend SOAR, the sponsors and volunteers
The next 12 minutes was the most stressful for us as a team of NTMC 2018 for developing a world-class event to further
as we had no roping experience and had only been trained on improve the profile of tactical medicine worldwide and for pro-
the system the day before. With the mindset to adapt and over- viding an opportunity for tactical medical practitioners to come
come and the mission to save our casualty and get him to the together in a positive environment and compete in skills
finish line, we managed to complete the challenge within the
allocated time frame safely. This was such a surprise and relief Acknowledgments
to us both that I think we cracked ribs and we bro-hugged The authors would like to acknowledge the incredible support
to celebrate the completion of what was a very enjoyable but they received from TacMed Australia, Central Queensland
challenging competition.
University senior staff and students, Platatac, Dr Jeremy
The take-home point for us was to stay focused on patient Smith, Queensland Police Special Emergency Response Team,
care but make sure that we maintained situational awareness and Special Operations Aid & Rescue.
to adapt to the continually evolving tactical environment.
The scenario mimicked the dynamic environment that a tac- Keywords: National Tactical Medicine Competition 2018;
tical medical practitioner would need to thrive in—it was competitions
fast, physical, and dangerous, but doing the basics well and
choosing the most appropriate interventions depending on the
threat allowed for mission success.

152 | JSOM Volume 18, Edition 2/Summer 2018