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Prolonged field care refers to the specialized medical care provided to individuals who have sustained injuries or illnesses in situations where timely evacuation to a medical facility (or next tier of healthcare provision) is delayed, challenging, or not feasible. [1] [2] This concept is applicable in various contexts, including military operations, wilderness emergencies, and disaster response scenarios. [1] Definitions exhibit slight variation, but they convey the same fundamental meaning:
"Field medical care, applied beyond doctrinal planning time-lines" [3]
"Field medical care that is applied beyond 'doctrinal planning time-lines' by a tactical medical practitioner in order to decrease patient mortality and morbidity." [4]
"Prolonged care is provided to casualties if there is likely to be a delay in meeting medical planning timelines" [5]
While the concept itself is well established, since 2012 it has become rapidly codified, with changes in the global political environment and the nature of combat operations around the world. [6] This had led to increased research and academia in the area of prolonged field care, first in Special operations teams [7] and then more broadly. [8] [9] [10]
The concept of prolonged field care evolved from lessons learned in military conflicts, [11] humanitarian missions, [12] and disaster response efforts. It has become a vital component of prehospital, emergency and military medicine. Prolonged field care as a subspecialty relies on the transmission and adaptation of guidelines between civilian and military organisations. This can take the form of adapting civilian clinical practices to a military setting, [5] undertaking civilian research to inform military practices [8] or adapting military training for a civilian audience. [13]
There are twelve core capabilities of Prolonged Field Care: [1]
The first ten capabilities originates in military practice [14] [15] with the last two being later additions for a civilian audience. Each of the core capabilities can be considered in terms of Minimum, Better, Best in relation to aiming to provide a high standard level of care, [16] and in relation to Ruck, Truck, House and Plane [17] to discuss the stages of care and logistical issues which may limit equipment provision.
These stages of care can be further explained as:
There are two acronyms used to prompt the provision of prolonged field care after completing a Primary and Secondary Survey, those being HITMAN coined by the UK Military [18] [2] and SHEEPVOMIT created by the then Dean of the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine. [19] [20]
The second acronym, SHEEP VOMIT details the nursing care needs of a patient and how best to address these. [22] [23]
A number of civilian and military prolonged field care courses exist. While many follow the core capabilities outlined above some do not. Many prolonged field care courses align closely with the 12 capabilities. Typical course contents may include:
A variety of terminology is used for the same concept, this is partly due to the differences between military and civilian practice. The following terms are used fairly interchangeably, but there may be specific differences between the association dogma, guidelines and protocols.
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This article is an
orphan, as no other articles
link to it. Please
introduce links to this page from
related articles; try the
Find link tool for suggestions. (June 2024) |
Prolonged field care refers to the specialized medical care provided to individuals who have sustained injuries or illnesses in situations where timely evacuation to a medical facility (or next tier of healthcare provision) is delayed, challenging, or not feasible. [1] [2] This concept is applicable in various contexts, including military operations, wilderness emergencies, and disaster response scenarios. [1] Definitions exhibit slight variation, but they convey the same fundamental meaning:
"Field medical care, applied beyond doctrinal planning time-lines" [3]
"Field medical care that is applied beyond 'doctrinal planning time-lines' by a tactical medical practitioner in order to decrease patient mortality and morbidity." [4]
"Prolonged care is provided to casualties if there is likely to be a delay in meeting medical planning timelines" [5]
While the concept itself is well established, since 2012 it has become rapidly codified, with changes in the global political environment and the nature of combat operations around the world. [6] This had led to increased research and academia in the area of prolonged field care, first in Special operations teams [7] and then more broadly. [8] [9] [10]
The concept of prolonged field care evolved from lessons learned in military conflicts, [11] humanitarian missions, [12] and disaster response efforts. It has become a vital component of prehospital, emergency and military medicine. Prolonged field care as a subspecialty relies on the transmission and adaptation of guidelines between civilian and military organisations. This can take the form of adapting civilian clinical practices to a military setting, [5] undertaking civilian research to inform military practices [8] or adapting military training for a civilian audience. [13]
There are twelve core capabilities of Prolonged Field Care: [1]
The first ten capabilities originates in military practice [14] [15] with the last two being later additions for a civilian audience. Each of the core capabilities can be considered in terms of Minimum, Better, Best in relation to aiming to provide a high standard level of care, [16] and in relation to Ruck, Truck, House and Plane [17] to discuss the stages of care and logistical issues which may limit equipment provision.
These stages of care can be further explained as:
There are two acronyms used to prompt the provision of prolonged field care after completing a Primary and Secondary Survey, those being HITMAN coined by the UK Military [18] [2] and SHEEPVOMIT created by the then Dean of the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine. [19] [20]
The second acronym, SHEEP VOMIT details the nursing care needs of a patient and how best to address these. [22] [23]
A number of civilian and military prolonged field care courses exist. While many follow the core capabilities outlined above some do not. Many prolonged field care courses align closely with the 12 capabilities. Typical course contents may include:
A variety of terminology is used for the same concept, this is partly due to the differences between military and civilian practice. The following terms are used fairly interchangeably, but there may be specific differences between the association dogma, guidelines and protocols.
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