Prospective Observational Study of United States (US) Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team Operations in Iraq

Modern Military Trauma

“…Of 656 patients examined in one study, there were no deaths [66]. In a smaller study of 133 patients, there were also no deaths [67]. Hyptotension and hemoglobin desaturation were the most common adverse events in the previous two studies, but retrospective study found that fever occurred in 41 % of CCATT patients and found no en route deaths of the 248 included.…”

Short-term Outcomes of US Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) Patients Evacuated from a Combat Setting

“…Mason et al reported similar findings in their study, noting that 35% of the transports were due to a medical diagnosis. 5 This information highlights the importance of ensuring that personnel are trained to care for critically ill medical patients as well as trauma patients in the combat zone. An analysis of the transport of mechanically ventilated patients reveals that 318 (49%) of the patients required ventilator support with a higher percentage of the trauma subset than the medical cohort requiring ventilator support (Table 1).…”

Innovations in the En Route Care of Combat Casualties

“…A more in-depth analysis of 133 patients transported by CCATT from Iraq identifi ed that 59% ( n ϭ 78) were combat trauma patients; lower extremity trauma, to include amputations, fractures, vascular injuries, and soft tissue injuries, was the most prevalent (Mason, Eadie, & Holder, 2008). The mean ISS for these CCATT patients with combat trauma was 20, with 60% of these patients having an ISS of more than 15, which is considered "severe" injury (Mason et al, 2008).…”

“…The mean ISS for these CCATT patients with combat trauma was 20, with 60% of these patients having an ISS of more than 15, which is considered "severe" injury (Mason et al, 2008). Despite the critical care capability of CCATT, some patients exceed that level of care in the ERC setting, particularly because of lung injuries and inadequate ventilation.…”