When Minutes Matter: A Comparison of Whole Blood Collection Techniques.

BACKGROUND: Fast and reliable blood collection is critical to emergency walking blood banks (WBB) because mortality significantly declines when blood is quickly administered to a warfighter with hemorrhagic shock. Phlebotomy for WBB is accomplished via either the "straight stick" (SS) or "ruggedized lock" (RL) method. SS comprises a 16-gauge phlebotomy needle connected to a blood collection bag via tubing. The RL device collects blood through the same apparatus, but has a capped, intravenous (IV) catheter between the needle and the donor's arm. This is the first study to compare these two methods in battlefield-relevant metrics. METHODS: Military first responders and licensed medical providers (N=86) were trained in SS and RL as part of fresh whole blood training exercises. Outcomes included venipuncture success rates, time to IV access, blood collection times, total time, and user preferences, using a within-subjects crossover design. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and nonparametric statistics at p<0.05. RESULTS: SS outperformed RL in first venipuncture success rates (76% vs. 64%, p=0.07), IV access times (448 [standard error of the mean; SE 23] vs. 558 [SE 31] s, p<0.01), and blood collection bag fill times (573 [SE 48] vs. 703 [SE 44] s, p<0.05), resulting in an approximate 3.5-minute faster time overall. Survey data were mixed, with users perceiving SS as simpler and faster, but RL as more reliable and secure. CONCLUSION: SS is optimal when timely collection is imperative, while RL may be preferable when device stability or replacing the collection bag is a consideration.

Fluid Resuscitation in Tactical Combat Casualty Care; TCCC Guidelines Change 21-01. 4 November 2021.

Hemorrhagic shock in combat trauma remains the greatest life threat to casualties with potentially survivable injuries. Advances in external hemorrhage control and the increasing use of damage control resuscitation have demonstrated significant success in decreasing mortality in combat casualties. Presently, an expanding body of literature suggests that fluid resuscitation strategies for casualties in hemorrhagic shock that include the prehospital use of cold-stored or fresh whole blood when available, or blood components when whole blood is not available, are superior to crystalloid and colloid fluids. On the basis of this recent evidence, the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) has conducted a review of fluid resuscitation for the combat casualty who is in hemorrhagic shock and made the following new recommendations: (1) cold stored low-titer group O whole blood (CS-LTOWB) has been designated as the preferred resuscitation fluid, with fresh LTOWB identified as the first alternate if CS-LTOWB is not available; (2) crystalloids and Hextend are no longer recommended as fluid resuscitation options in hemorrhagic shock; (3) target systolic blood pressure (SBP) resuscitation goals have been redefined for casualties with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI) coexisting with their hemorrhagic shock; and (4) empiric prehospital calcium administration is now recommended whenever blood product resuscitation is required.

Tactical Combat Casualty Care Scenario: Management of a Gunshot Wound to the Chest in a Combat Swimmer.

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) has always emphasized the need to consider the tactical setting in developing a plan to care for wounded unit members while still on the battlefield. The TCCC Guidelines provide an evidence-based trauma care approach to specific injuries that may occur in combat. However, they do not address what modifications might need to be made to the basic TCCC guidelines due to the specific tactical setting in which the scenario occurs. The scenario presented below depicts a combat swimmer operation in which a unit member is shot while in the water. The unit casualty response plan for a combat swimmer who sustains a gunshot wound to the chest while on a mission is complicated by the inability to perform indicated medical interventions for the casualty while he is in the water. It is also complicated by the potential for ballistic damage to his underwater breathing apparatus and the need to remain submerged after wounding for at least for a period of time to avoid further hostile fire. Additionally, there is a potential for a cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) and/or a tension pneumothorax to develop while surfacing because of the decreasing ambient pressure on ascent. The tactical response may be complicated by limited communications between the mission personnel while submerged and by the vulnerability of the mission personnel to antiswimmer measures if their presence is compromised.

Firearm homicide mortality is influenced by structural racism in US metropolitan areas.

INTRODUCTION: Metropolitan cities in the United States suffer from higher rates of gun violence. However, the specific structural factors associated with increased gun violence are poorly defined. We hypothesized that firearm homicide in metropolitan cities would be impacted by Black-White segregation index. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis evaluated 51 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) using data from 2013 to 2017. Several measures of structural racism were examined, including the Brooking Institute's Black-White segregation index. Demographic data were derived from the US Census Bureau, US Department of Education, and US Department of Labor. Crime data and firearm homicide mortality rates were obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Centers for Disease Control. Spearman ρ and linear regression were performed. RESULTS: Firearm mortality was associated with multiple measures of structural racism and racial disparity, including White-Black segregation index, unemployment rate, poverty rate, single parent household, percent Black population, and crime rates. In regression analysis, percentage Black population exhibited the strongest association with firearm homicide mortality (ß = 0.42, p < 0.001). Black-White segregation index (ß = 0.41, p = 0.001) and percent children living in single-parent households (ß = 0.41, p = 0.002) were also associated with higher firearm homicide mortality. Firearm legislation scores were associated with lower firearm homicide mortality (ß = -0.20 p = 0.02). High school and college graduation rates were not associated with firearm homicide mortality and were not included in the final model. CONCLUSION: Firearm homicide disproportionately impacts communities of color and is associated with measures of structural racism, such as White-Black segregation index. Public health interventions targeting gun violence must address these systemic inequities. Furthermore, given the association between firearm mortality and single-parent households, intervention programs for at-risk youth may be particularly effective. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiological level II.