Trauma in Conflict - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... FitzPatrick and Hartsock observe that throughout history military nurses have stood with physicians and assisted them in carrying out emergency medical interventions. Nurses have served as care providers in many regions of conflict such as Somalia, Croatia, Desert Storm and recently in Iraq and Afghanistan (Flint et al. 2007). The evolution in trauma nursing has opened up new roles for nursing such as injury prevention, data management and the use of new technologies for dealing with trauma injuries. One such medical intervention is the military tourniquet. The military tourniquet is used for supporting poly-trauma patients. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) is a common military tourniquet used by military nurses. This essay will discuss the potential dilemmas arising out of the use of tourniquets, particularly CAT. The issues will be considered in the context of trauma conflict situations. Patients in military operations in Afghanistan will be considered too. According to Beachley, military nurses have contributed significantly towards the effective management and care of severe injuries. Amongst such measures are triage rapid evacuation, stabilization and surgical procedures (Flint et al. 2007). It is necessary for military nurses to master the interventions that are required for dealing with blast and gunshot victims. The frequency of such injuries has increased significantly over the past few decades owing largely to the fact that they are not confined to the military anymore. The proliferation of weaponry and its use out of the military has made the civilian population yet more susceptible to trauma. The role of nurses has become increasingly important in managing trauma ever since the Crimean War. Effective management of penetrating trauma, which has occurred in wars and military operations, requires the nurse to be apt at the working knowledge of the interventions (O'Shea 2005). A critical aspect of emergency care of trauma victims is gaining control of and stopping haemorrhage. It has been reported that taking measures to prevent deaths occurring from blood loss from the limbs are the most vital means of saving lives. Haemorrhage has been cited as the most important reason for death after trauma (Lerner & Soudry 2011). In the protocol used for managing a trauma patient, circulation is now being given increased importance. The treatment procedure has changed from ABC to ABC to highlight the significance of controlling blood loss (Brodie et al. 2007). These changes are also being introduced into training programs for military trauma nurses. A device used in such cases is tourniquet. Tourniquets are devices which can reduce arterial and venous flow by compressing it. In the UK, tourniquets are a part of the personal first aid kits of soldiers going to the field. They are encouraged to make use of tourniquets when faced with excessive amounts of blood loss. Despite the effectiveness of tourniquets on stopping blood loss, their use in conflict situations is subject to debate. There are strong arguments both favouring and discouraging the use of tourniquets in critical situations in the war zone. The arguments against the use of tourniquets are that they lead to the unnecessary loss and amputation of limbs. This highlights the gravity of the issue and the medicolegal aspects surrounding their use. Tourniquets are used for medical or tactical reasons. They help to deliver care-under-fire, ...Download file to see next pagesRead More