Lessons from a battle-front: When and where to “scoop and scoot”?

Abstract

There has been game-changing advances in battlefield medicine. Improved training and expertise has enabled emergency medical personnel to provide advanced levels of care at the scene of trauma. It is better to “scoop and run” than “stay and play”. Current data relates to the urban environment where transport times to trauma centres are short and where it appears better to simply rapidly transport the patient to hospital than attempt major interventions at the scene. There may be more need for advanced techniques in the rural environment or where transport times are prolonged and certainly a need for more studies into subsets of patients who may benefit from interventions in the field. This report examines how time and early response is crucial in saving lives and decreasing morbidity. This article also gives insight into the to-do list for paramedics and doctors before and during causality transfers.

Keywords

• battlefield medicine
• casevac
• medevac
• casualty evacuation
• trauma