Making Use of Your Assets: Clinical Use of EOD Radiography in the Forward-Deployed Setting

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Surgical Imaging
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Ultrasonography is the standard imaging for forward surgical teams (FSTs/FRSTs).
• Austere environments limit access to advanced imaging modalities for FSTs/FRSTs.
• Resource constraints can impact patient diagnosis and treatment in deployed settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) radiography for FSTs/FRSTs.
• To demonstrate the application of EOD radiography in resource-limited operational areas.
• To present case examples where EOD radiography aided clinical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Utilized radiography equipment from a co-located EOD team during a deployment.
• Applied EOD radiography to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of medical and surgical patients.
• Documented three case examples illustrating the use of EOD radiography.

Main Results:

• EOD radiography successfully assisted in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
• The use of EOD radiography saved time and resources for the surgical team.
• Clinical decision-making was improved through the application of EOD radiography in time-sensitive situations.

Conclusions:

• Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) radiography can be a valuable tool for forward surgical teams in resource-constrained environments.
• This technique aids in time-sensitive clinical decision-making where traditional imaging is unavailable.
• Further assessment of the safety profile for clinical use in humans is warranted.