| Learning Objective #1: Identify the process involved in the triage of incoming soldiers transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) from battle zones in Afghanistan and Iraq | |||
| Learning Objective #2: List five significant clinical considerations for the air/medical evacuation of wounded and ill service members from the area of operation to the United States |
Triage begins with accessing a database generated in the region of conflict, delineating soldiers who need to be moved to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC). The Patient Movement Record (PMR) includes information specifying the soldier's diagnosis, meds, mobility status, and priority of care along with a brief description of the history of the patient's current condition. Utilizing this data a determination of the level of care can be made needed for this patient once arriving at LRMC. Bed assignments are determined prior to arrival for selected patients, and appropriate physicians and units can be notified before the patient arrives. Once treatment is rendered, the Air Evacuation section of the DWMMC facilitates the final phase in the continuity of care. Multiple aspects are measured and weighed when the patient has been identified as a candidate for return to the United States or home nation. These aspects may include the theater evacuation policy, the clinical condition of the patient, ability to stand the rigors of flight, the accessibility of Air Force aeromedical specialty crews, availability of airplanes and the appropriate destination. Air Evacuation Nurses work in collaboration with the primary provider and in close conjunction with the Air Force flight surgeon staff. The nurse assembles the essential patient information and develops an enhanced clinical picture via another PMR, thus creating a triage tool for the receiving facility, allowing the cycle to begin again at the next level of care.