If there is such a thing as a positive outcome of the war, it is the advancement of medicine and medical devices. Historically, we have learned a lot in the areas of surgery, trauma, orthopedics and wound management as a result of wars.
Some of the innovations that emerged during the civil war include the development of field hospitals, the discovery of the link between direct treatment and survival, and the link between sanitation and infection prevention. The First World War led to the recognition of psychological damage as a result of the war, along with the first blood banks and the general use of blood transfusions. During World War II, field doctors widely used penicillin in the treatment of wounds, and success in orthopedic devices and procedures was significant. And who would have thought of a helicopter as a medical device? The wars in Korea and Vietnam led to the use of air ambulances, reducing mortality due to war wounds, which had a great impact on civil emergency medicine.
The recent wars in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq led to the development of orthopedics, traumatology and surgery, as well as wound management. There have been and continue to exist significant improvements in the field of prosthetics and surgical instruments. As military and civilian doctors from previous conflicts say: “Medical innovations are born in days, not in years.”
Changes in current conflicts
Innovative mobile devices have been developed for the treatment of extensive wounds on the anterior lines, and small, lighter medical devices of all types for these mobile devices are constantly being improved and improved. During the desert, Storm I & II, for example, Integrated Medical Systems, Inc., developed Life Support for Trauma and Transport — an integrated system of devices in a portable intensive care unit. It includes a defibrillator, a ventilator, and patient monitoring subsystems. Thanks to history as our guide, we can expect to see these new devices in civilian use in the future.
New bandages were designed to stop even heavy bleeding almost instantly. One, Hem-Con dressing, is made from shrimp cell extract. It was designed by a retired US Army Colonel, Dr. Bill Weismann, with a war injury. In addition, devices have been improved to facilitate vacuum sealing of open wounds to minimize the amount of “work that needs to be done” before transporting the patient. Although the focus has so far been on military needs, it is easy to understand how innovative wound care products will ultimately improve the treatment of emergency trauma among the civilian population.
High volumes of orthopedic injuries stimulated the rapid development of devices such as Disc-O-Tech. Inventors Lewis Pell, Motti Beyar and Oren Globerman saw the need for expandable implants for traumatic injuries requiring minimally invasive orthopedic surgery in recent conflicts in Israel.
With a higher survival rate, especially after roadside bombing, there is a great need for prostheses. Today's soldiers expect better prosthetics than those currently available. Increased activity in the development of lighter, more flexible prosthetic hands and arms; and it is expected that they will be military and civilian markets for four years.
Trauma care improves
Traumatic injuries are the main cause of death for Americans under the age of 45, which makes advances in knowledge and procedures during the most recent wars especially relevant. In modern field hospitals, where the development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods and devices is accelerated, exceed the busiest American trauma units. In this environment, practitioners quickly gain a lot of experience and can quickly improve performance. For example, doctors in Afghanistan and Iraq have put forward practical knowledge about intraosseous string devices, which are the newest and most effective method of introducing fluids for traumatic situations.
Highly efficient transportation systems are extremely important for improving the survival of injured soldiers. Technological advances ensure that victims are not only transferred faster, but also receive better control and treatment during transportation. Improvements in the field of medical transport were transferred to civilians: the Air Force used combat transport lessons during evacuation after Hurricane Katrina.
Further improvements in the future
New medical devices will continue to appear on the battlefield, from dressings to improved prostheses. Civil emergency services can rely on innovations such as diagnostic equipment for laptops, dehydrated blood products for longer storage and improved portability, as well as many new medical devices.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Department of Defense are investing heavily in research and development to translate innovation on the battlefield into medical devices and procedures that save the lives of civilians and soldiers around the world.
