01 February 2021 - Issue 190
Greetings JSOM Newsletter Subscribers,

The Special Operations Medical Association has now scheduled its annual SOMSA for 28 June - 2 July.  Please continue to visit their website or social media platforms for the most current information available.

In a previous email to advertisers, I mentioned the Summer Ed would be our pre-SOMSA edition (it currently publishes the week of this year's SOMSA),  but as hard as we tried to make that work on our end, the logistics of it made it impossible. There is no way we can get the publication shifted so far forward to allot for printing and the 3-4 week mailing time to ensure the subscribers have it in hand before SOMSA. So, to be safe, the Spring Ed of the JSOM will remain our Pre-SOMSA edition. Anything that you want published post-SOMSA 21 will still be in the Post-SOMSA Fall Ed.
Handbook Updates
Currently in production and available soon:
The 2020 updated and new versions to the following handbooks have been slightly delayed due to the authors' response to COVID19:

  • Pararescue Medical Operations (PJ MED) Handbook 8th Ed. The 8th Ed will be available as a spiral-bound handbook. The updates are in. We are working to bring this title to you very soon.
  • NEW 2020 Advanced Ranger First Responder Handbook

New handbooks will feature waterproof / tearproof paper.

Respectfully,
Michelle DuGuay Landers, MBA, BSN, RN
Breakaway Media, LLC
Publisher
Journal of Special Operations Medicine and Advanced Tactical Paramedic Protocols Handbook
Lt Col, USAFR/NC (Ret)
A note about the newsletter design: This newsletter has been created using one cohesive font and a unified JSOM brand and color design. If multiple fonts or unusual colors are appearing in your copy, it is a result of your personal settings or the settings attached to your email. For optimal viewing of this newsletter, including the sidebar items which can sometimes disappear depending on your email settings, we suggest opening the newsletter in a browser.
ABSTRACT

This Role 1 prolonged field care (PFC) guideline is intended for use in the austere environment when evacuation to higher level of care is not immediately possible. A provider must first be an expert in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). The intent of this guideline is to provide a functional, evidence-based and experience-based solution to those individuals who must manage patients suspected of having or diagnosed with sepsis in an austere environment. Emphasis is placed on the basics of diagnosis and treatment using the tools most familiar to a Role 1 provider. Ideal hospital techniques are adapted to meet the limitations of austere environments while still maintaining the highest standards of care possible. Sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies. Patients suspected of having either of these conditions should be immediately evacuated out of the austere environment to higher echelons of care. These patients are often complex, requiring 24-hour monitoring, critical care skills, and a great deal of resources to treat. Obtaining evacuation is the highest treatment priority for these patients. 

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of prehospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) in the military exercise setting. Methods: Three 40kg Sus scrofa (wild swine) underwent controlled 35% blood loss and administration of potassium chloride to achieve cardiac arrest (CA). During CPR, initiated 1 minute after CA, the animals were transported to Role 1. Femoral vessels were cannulated, followed by E-CPR using a portable perfusion device. Crystalloid and blood transfusions were initiated, followed by tactical evacuation to Role 2 and 4-hour observation. Results: All animals developed sustained asystole. Chest compressions supported effective but gradually deteriorating blood circulation. Two animals underwent successful E-CPR, with restoration of perfusion pressure to 80mmHg (70-90mmHg) 25 and 23 minutes after the induction of CA. After transportation to Role 2, one animal developed abdominal compartment syndrome as a result of extensive (9L) fluid replacement.

February 2020 JSOM Feature Article
Case Series on 2g Tranexamic Acid Flush From the 75th Ranger Regiment Casualty Database
Androski CP, Bianchi W, Robinson DL, Zarow GJ, Moore CH, Deaton TG, Drew B, Gonzalez S, Knight RM. 20(4). 85 - 91. (Journal Article)
ABSTRACT

Early tranexamic acid (TXA) administration for resuscitation of critically injured warfighters provides a mortality benefit. The 2019 Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) recommendations of a 1g drip over 10 minutes, followed by 1g drip over 8 hours, is intended to limit potential TXA side effects, including hypotension, seizures, and anaphylaxis. However, this slow and cumbersome TXA infusion protocol is difficult to execute in the tactical care environment. Additionally, the side effect cautions derive from studies of elderly or cardiothoracic surgery patients, not young healthy warfighters. Therefore, the 75th Ranger Regiment developed and implemented a 2g intravenous or intraosseous (IV/IO) TXA flush protocol. We report on the first six cases of this protocol in the history of the Regiment. After-action reports (AARs) revealed no incidences of post-TXA hypotension, seizures, or anaphylaxis. Combined, the results of this case series are encouraging and provide a foundation for larger studies to fully determine the safety of the novel 2g IV/IO TXA flush protocol toward preserving the lives of traumatically injured warfighters.

Keywords: tranexamic acid; TXA; TXA flush; TXA intraosseous; TXA protocol; Tactical Combat Casualty Care; TCCC
The Journal of Special Operations Medicine Podcast
The JSOM podcast digs deeper into the articles and subjects that matter to our readers. Our podcast hosts, Captains Alex Merkle and Josh Randles, tackle articles from the journal based on merit, interest, and application for operators in the field. In addition, the podcast features a special, not to be missed Interview Series with leaders, doctors, and authors.
Podcast News and Updates
Winter 2020

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh discuss the articles "Life and Limb In-Flight Surgical Intervention: Fifteen Years of Experience by Joint Medical Augmentation Unit Surgical Resuscitation Teams" and "Austere Surgical Team Management of an Unusual Tropical Disease: A Case Study in East Africa". Guest reviewer medic SGT Greg Spencer reviews "An Analysis and Comparison of Prehospital Trauma Care Provided by Medical Officers and Medics on the Battlefield". Finally, Alex and Josh review "Case Series on 2g Tranexamic Acid Flush From the 75th Ranger Regiment Casualty Database" with author MSG Simon Gonzalez.

Highlights From the 20th Anniversary JSOM Interview Series:
Dr. Frank Butler discusses the evolution of TCCC and the COTCCC
THE Dr Frank Butler helps us review the state of combat care 20 years ago when the JSOM and TCCC both started. We learn about how he came to have an interest in improving the quality and delivery of combat care and the many different evolving roles he has had in combat casualty care. He also teaches us about how we arrived at recent changes in TCCC and future directions in care. Please join us for our great discussion with the plank holder of TCCC. Listen here.

MAJ Andrew Fisher, MS-4, PA-C, LP for a great review of pre-hospital whole blood in the military; where we are now and how we got there. He reminds us that, "everything old is new again." The first whole blood transfusion research was done by the military in 1940 (Armed Forces Blood Program) and was used extensively in WWII and the Korean War. But times change and lessons learned are lost to the sands of time as one generation of peacetime military surgeons hands off the reigns to the next. Listen here.

World-renowned tourniquet expert Dr. John Kragh. In this interview, Dr. Kragh takes us through his history in becoming a tourniquet expert as well as detailing the evolution of tourniquet use in combat situations as a battalion surgeon in Southwest Asia. Tourniquet use has evolved considerably even during the 20-years since the JSOM has been in publication. Be sure to read Dr. Kragh's contributions to this quarter's journal as a companion to this interview. Listen here.

CMSgt Michael Rubio, currently the commandant of the 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron of the PJ schoolhouse at Kirkland AFB. It's a great opportunity to hear from the best about how PJ training has changed during the past 20 years, and get a glimpse of where it is heading in the future. You can listen here. Look for another episode later this month.
Resuscitation Summit
A Focus on Ventilation

Available on-demand
Resuscitation Summit Topics:

Ventilation Primer: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly In this 32-minute video, Anja Metzger, PhD, discusses the physiology of ventilation, the science of gasping, the dangers of hyper/hypoventilation and the latest (2020) AHA recommendations regarding ventilation.

Redefining Ventilation in EMS In this 20-minute video, James Hempstead, Battalion Chief EMS/Training for Richland Fire & EMS, shares why his organization transitioned to vents and how it relates to their overall EMS system improvement philosophy.
JSOM Podcast
Wilderness Medical Society
In an effort to broaden and strengthen our ties with the Wilderness Medical Society and all who work in the wilderness medicine community, our webmaster and podcast hosts will be partnering with the organization to share more information and crossover content between our podcast platforms.

The mission of the Wilderness Medical Society is to encourage, foster, support, or conduct activities to improve the scientific knowledge of the membership and general public in human health activities in a wilderness environment.

The Journal of Special Operations Medicine has long partnered with the WMS in a shared science program as we understand the importance of sharing information with all who work in various forms of unconventional medicine.
Institutional Subscribers and Re-subscribers
The JSOM is incredibly grateful to have the support of many institutions around the world. We would like to thank our recent institutional subscribers and re-subscribers for their support by acknowledging them in our eNewsletter and, when applicable, sharing their social media information. We currently have 56 active institutional subscriptions, reaching a potential 59,000+ readers!

This edition, we welcome back three institutions.

The Parham Campus Library at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA
The National Library of Medicine, Birmingham
The Department of Public Safety (SWAT) - Texas Ranger Division, Austin, Tx

Visit https://jsom.us/Library for a full list of institutions that are currently subscribing to the JSOM. We are beginning a campaign to expand our institutional subscriptions. If you think your company would benefit from an institutional subscription, let us know! We'll be happy to talk to you and get the ball rolling. You don't have to be a university or medical center to subscribe - we have many EMS units, government agencies, and military medical units both in the United States and abroad.

Are you on the list? Great! Need to know how to access our resources? You can either contact your head librarian, or shoot an email to subscriptions@JSOMonline.org.

Institutions receive either a print copy of our journal, digital access, or both. Digital subscribers have unlimited access to our full compendium of articles, journals, and the ATP-P. If you are a student, researcher, doctor, or other medical professional at one of these institutions, please contact your librarian for login details. Additionally, the digital resources are typically available 2-3 weeks ahead of print publication.

If your institution is not on the list and you would like more information about our institutional access, contact our subscriptions manager, Dr. Scott Graverson.
Photo of the Week
GESP 60, a team of specialized firefighters with the Gendarmerie Forces, practice tactical progression during training. 
Photograph courtesy of J. Bouchez: www.sdis60.fr

Do You Have a Photo to Share?  
Please send us your approved medical action images for future covers, our journal Photo Gallery, bi-weekly eNewsletters, and JSOM social media! All images must include captions in the emails in which they are sent. Images for print must be high resolution, at least 300 dpi. Images for the eNewsletter and social media must be at least 400px wide, 72 dpi.  

Breakaway Media, LLC, is  woman service-disabled veteran-owned small business (WOSB and SDVOSB) registered with the Central Contracting Office of the Department of Defense

DUNS #070397122 / Cage #6F0Z6
Primary SIC Code - 2721
 
Journal of Special Operations Medicine 

This disclaimer pertains to any publication (aka, "publications") written or electronic set forth by Breakaway Media, LLC (BAM) and includes, but is not limited to: The Journal of Special Operations Medicine (JSOM), social media posts to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, the JSOM eNewsletter, the JSOM website, and any promotional materials published by BAM. The views and opinions expressed in these publications are those of the authors, contributors, and sponsors of the JSOM and BAM, and do not necessarily reflect those of the JSOM, the JSOM Editorial Board ("the editorial board"), BAM, or its affiliates. Neither the JSOM, the editorial board, BAM, nor its affiliates hold themselves responsible for statements or products discussed in any BAM publications. Unless so stated, material in BAM publications does not reflect endorsement, official attitude, or position of the JSOM, the editorial board, BAM, or affiliates. Products advertised have not been tested by the JSOM, the editorial board, BAM, or its affiliates, and, as such, cannot be held liable for any injury or death caused by the use or misuse of the products contained herein. Neither BAM, the editorial board, nor its affiliates, make any warranty, representation, endorsement, or guarantee of products advertised, discussed, tweeted, retweeted, or shared any publication, to include the assumption of any liability whatsoever arising out of the application, use, or misuse of any product. As a medical publication, we are committed to sharing new technology and products we feel may be of interest to our readers, and encourage all readers and users of said products to use with caution and under proper authorization and professional guidance.

Tagging the JSOM on Instagram / Disclaimer
We assume by tagging us on Instagram, you are authorized to disseminate the photograph you are sharing with us. If you are a photographer whose image has been used or shared without authorization, please notify us immediately so we may give you proper credit.