FORT CARSON, Colorado –
The U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, based at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, conducted a study Feb. 11 with combat medics with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Carson, Colorado.
USAISR personnel are traveling across the country to participating units in all service branches to obtain feedback on devices for airway management.
“The goal of the study is to determine the best product or devices for fielding and security for medics downrange,” said Maj. Steven G. Schauer, USAISR emergency medicine physician. “Over the course of the study, we are going over all the devices on the market and getting feedback from the users — in terms of use and their preferences.”
As a combat brigade, the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, or 2nd IBCT, was the first to participate in the study outside of JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
“We are looking for feedback from medics in combat arms units,” Schauer said. “We are trying to make the results of the study as useful as possible for the medics who are likely to take care of casualties.”
Medics were given the opportunity to work with each device on an intubation training manikin, made specifically for airway training, and share their preferences with researchers.
“We were called in by medical officers from JBSA-Fort Sam Houston to test airway interventions using airway management devices,” said Sgt. Christian Warnar, combat medic with 1st Bn., 41st Inf. Reg., 2nd IBCT. “We can critique it, see what we like and what we do not like, and let them know how it could be improved.”
Researchers hope to continue with the phases of the study and find the right devices to add to combat medic aid bags.
“It’s really exciting,” Warnar said. “I can use my experience and my personal take to influence what might be on the battlefield in the next couple years and what future medics could be using.”