Otolaryngic Health Service Support in the Airland Battle

Abstract

The Blast Injuries of the Ear Seminar was conducted to better define the state of knowledge about the medical care and consequences of blast injuries of the ear in battle. The immediate concern of this discussion was the relative importance of the finding of widespread eardrum ruptures in penetrating attacks by shaped charge munitions against the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. In order to focus on the care of the soldier with such injuries, a brief description of the current medical care and evacuation chain of the US Army, as well as the proposed future evacuation chain in the Airland Battle scenario, will be discussed. Detailed treatment of patients will be discussed in the descriptions from the Quad Service Clinical Data Base regarding wounds of the tympanic membrane. Most blast injuries of the ear would not be considered as incapacitating casualties by the Army Medical Department, except in severe circumstances.