Prehospital Interventions Performed in Afghanistan Between November 2009 and March 2014

Care provided to a casualty in the prehospital combat setting can influence subsequent medical interactions and impact patient outcomes; therefore, we aimed to describe the incidence of specific prehospital interventions (lifesaving interventions (LSIs)) performed during the resuscitation and transport of combat casualties.

We performed a prospective observational, IRB approved study between November 2009 and March 2014. Casualties were enrolled as they were cared for at nine U.S. military medical facilities in Afghanistan. Data were collected using a standardized collection form. Determination if a prehospital intervention was performed correctly, performed incorrectly, or was necessary but was not performed (missed LSIs) was made by the receiving facility's medical provider.

Two thousand one hundred and six patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 25 years and 98% were male. The most common mechanism of injury was explosion 57%. There were 236 airway interventions attempted, 183 chest procedures, 1,673 hemorrhage control, 1,698 vascular access, and 1,066 hypothermia preventions implemented. There were 142 incorrectly performed interventions and 360 were missed.

In our study, the most commonly performed prehospital LSI in a combat setting were for vascular access and hemorrhage control. The most common incorrectly performed and missed interventions were airway interventions and chest procedures respectively.