Safest light in a combat area while performing intravenous access in the dark

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Military Medicine
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Intravenous fluid administration via cannulation is critical for prehospital trauma care.
• Night-time operations pose challenges for cannulation due to light use potentially compromising tactical situations.
• Assessing alternative light sources for safe and effective battlefield venepuncture is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the success rate and tactical safety of venepuncture under various lighting conditions relevant to battlefield scenarios.
• To compare different light sources, including colored lights and night vision goggles (NVGs), for prehospital cannulation.

Main Methods:

• Venepuncture procedures were performed under direct vision in daylight and darkness with red, white, blue, and green light sources.
• Procedures were also conducted using infrared light with NVGs.
• Success, safety, difficulty, and completion time were recorded for each condition.

Main Results:

• 100% success rates were achieved in daylight and in darkness without specialized lighting.
• Procedures using infrared light with NVGs were slower compared to other methods.
• Blue light provided superior tactical safety during venepuncture compared to other tested light sources.

Conclusions:

• Blue light is recommended for prehospital intravenous cannulation in tactical environments due to its optimal tactical safety.
• The use of NVGs with infrared light is not advised in situations where opponents may possess similar technology.