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"The purpose of the drill is to train our integrated medical team in mass casualty and casualty receiving scenarios,” said LT Dana Lilli, Boxer’s Senior Medical Officer. “Mass casualty scenarios would overwhelm our medical capabilities on board, but with repetition, the chaos of medical emergencies can be mitigated and thus allow us to focus on trauma resuscitation and medical treatment for injured Marines and Sailors.”
The mass casualty drill trained the integrated medical team in emergency response procedures and medical treatment using eight simulated patients with various injuries. The simulated injuries included sucking chest wounds, abdominal injuries with uncontrolled bleeding, head trauma, and open, fractured bones.
“This drill gives Sailors the opportunity to perform emergency medicine skills as well as critical patient evaluation skills,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Matthew Bauer.
The mass casualty response team charted the victims’ vital signs and dressed their wounds throughout the treatment process with help from Marines serving as simulated casualties and non-medical department Sailors serving as stretcher bearers.
“It allows us the opportunity to use equipment that we don’t always get the opportunity to use,” said Bauer.
Along with training, mass casualty drills are used to evaluate on board medical response capabilities.
“It increases our skill because if you practice enough you’re set up to become successful in the event any casualty comes,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Hailey Johnson. “We can assess the patient and get them the care they need.”
“The LHD/LHA classes are the Casualty Receiving and Treatment Ships (CRTS) for the fleet,” Lilli said. “This platform, unlike any other ship, is designed to provide Level 2, resuscitative surgical treatment and medical support for forward deployed forces. Early trauma resuscitation is key to survival for injured personnel, and so, our department trains to be ready to provide that surgical and mass casualty care.”
Level 2 facilties are capable of performing various types of surgery. Boxer’s medical department has 4 operating rooms, 14 intensive care unit beds, 38 inpatient ward beds, and approximately 250 overflow beds for humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
Boxer, the 13th MEU and FST 3 are all part of ESG 3, which is currently in the 7th fleet area of operations for a scheduled deployment.
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2016 02:09 |
| Story ID: | 200989 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mass Casualty Drill Preps Boxer Medical for Worst, by CPO Jose Jaen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
