Combat Medicine: A Model for Civilian Mass Casualty Managment?

Abstract

Casualty management is vital in combat. Prior to World War I, the wounded soldier's outlook for survival was dismal. However, technological advances of the twentieth-century introduced combat medics, triage, and improved medicines to the front lines, as well as, paramedics, 9-1-1 response, and state and local emergency centers on the home front, reducing pain and saving lives. Emerging technology promises to bring further life-saving techniques to the future battlefield and civilian disasters. With the advent of digital networks and sophisticated information technology, the ability to assist the wounded and evacuate casualties from the combat zone and city emergency areas promises tremendous improvements in casualty management and subsequent patient survival. This paper provides a brief review of the evolution of battlefield medicine and extrapolates how combining applied human factors with emergent digital technology could enhance battlefield and disaster casualty management.