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IDF Introduces New Techniques to Reduce Combat Deaths

(Times of Israel) Mitch Ginsburg - The IDF Medical Corps is seeking to prevent the deaths of soldiers on the battlefield by bringing better technology closer to the scene of combat. At a recent drill, Col. Dr. Tarif Bader, the chief medical officer of the Northern Command, discussed several new items that have been given to combat soldiers and medics on the front lines. Old pad bandages, meant to apply pressure and absorb the blood flow from combat wounds, have been replaced by small, vacuum-packed hemostatic dressings that also help blood clotting. Another measure is the introduction of freeze-dried plasma, a powdered unit of blood that can be kept at room temperature, unlike the commonly administered plasma. Additional technologies moved up to the battlefield include small coagulation-measuring devices; a far more effective, orally administered morphine substitute called fentanyl citrate; an oxygen saturation clip that slips onto a soldier's finger; and a host of portable standard tools, including a defibrillator, a vital sign monitor, and an automatic oxygen resuscitator.
2013-12-13 00:00:00
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