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Dhananjay Parmar
Khawab ban k koi aye ga tou neend aye gi,
Ab wohi aa k sulaye ga tou neend aye gi,
Dil ki wo bat jo aankhon se bayan hoti hai,
Koi honton se sunaye ga tou neend aye gi...
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Hi friend’s
This is Extreme World Info,
After The Battle : The Flying ICU
by Senior Airman Chris Willis
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
3/29/2013 - BAGRAM
AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a four-part
series about the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing's medical response capabilities
and the various teams within the wing who play a role in the care and
transportation of combat wounded troops throughout Afghanistan.
Three critically injured patients need immediate
transfer to a medical facility outside of Afghanistan. One has a shot to the
head, the other has missing limbs and the last has an open abdominal wound.
Without a mobile intensive care unit, these patients will not make the flight
out.
For members of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical
Evacuation Squadron Critical Care Air Transport Team, this is go-time.
A CCATT crew consists of a physician, intensive care
nurse and a respiratory therapist. Together they can turn a regular medical
transport aircraft into a flying intensive care unit, making it possible to
move severely injured or gravely ill servicemembers by air to Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Starting with the aeromedical evacuation of the
patients from forward operating bases, to treating them at the Contingency
Aeromedical Staging Facility and then transporting them out of the country
through a C-17 Globemaster III "Reach" mission to LRMC, moving
patients throughout the area of responsibility takes a working team with
multiple parts.
At the Craig Joint Theater Hospital on Bagram
Airfield, the CCATT crew unplugs the patient from the hospital's power and
respiratory machines and into mobile units that are positioned along with
stretchers. Then with the help of the hospital staff and the CASF crew, the
patients are moved to the flightline where an aircraft awaits, already
configured for their needs.
Once on the aircraft, each patient is attached to the
central air and power supply and prepared for take-off. Since the majority of
the CCATT's patients are unconscious during the trip, great care is given to
monitor their vitals and wellbeing.
"We make a promise to these men and women that
no matter what happens, we will do everything in our power to bring them
home," said Capt. Mario Ramirez, CCATT physician. "Being a part of
CCATT is a great honor and allows me to help fulfill that mission."
While other passengers are getting some rest, the
CCATT crew stays constantly on their feet observing the patients and watching
for any signs of immediate medical need.
"It's all about these guys and girls who put
their life on the line for us, the least we can do is give them the most
optimum care we can provide," said Senior Airman Delton McClary, CCATT
respiratory therapist. "If we can get them from Afghanistan to Germany
with no problems and better than when we received them, then we did our
job."
Every CCATT mission has its own unique challenges and
is different than anything that exists in civilian medicine. They are trained
to be a medical, surgical and trauma multi-specialty team, all in the back of
an aircraft with limited resources.
"I work with an outstanding team, and together
we are able to give these troops the same level of care they would get in
America's best intensive care units," said Ramirez.
Pre-mission planning and good team communication is
vital to the execution of CCATT mission, the job cannot be done by just one or
two members of the team.
"We have learned to trust each other," said
Capt. Suzanne Morris, CCATT nurse, "During a mission there is a lot going
on and you have to rely on your teammates if you want to succeed."
Flexibility is also very important when it comes to
the CCATT missions. They can be flying to an unexpected location to pick up an
unexpected patient, or flying a mercy mission to reunite an injured
servicemember with their families.
"Every mission has a particular place in my
heart, some with great endings...some not," said McClary. "But even
more importantly, we get the patients to their family and that's the feel-good
part of my job that I love to do."
Even though the patients have a far longer journey to
go for full medical recovery, they are now out of Afghanistan and at a higher
level of care, thanks to the men and women of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.
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Capt. Mario Ramirez, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
Critical Care Air Transport Team physician, monitors a patient’s vital signs at
the Craig Joint Theater Hospital intensive care unit on Bagram Airfield,
Afghanistan, March 21, 2013. The CCATT crew will unplug the patient from the
hospital’s power and respiratory machines and connect to mobile units that are
positioned along with stretchers for transport to a medical aircraft. (U.S. Air
Force photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
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Senior Airman Delton McClary, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation
Squadron Critical Care Air Transport Team respiratory therapist, performs an
arterial blood gas sampling during flight out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan,
March 21, 2013. The results will be used to monitor the patient's hemoglobin
and electrolyte levels and guide further resuscitation during the flight. (U.S.
Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
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Members of the of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation
Squadron assist patients on a C-17 Globemaster III medical transport flight out
of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013. With help from the Critical
Care Air Transport Team, the crew can turn a regular medical transport aircraft
into a flying intensive care unit, making it possible to move severely injured
or gravely ill servicemembers by air. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chris
Willis) |
|
Members of the of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation
Squadron assist patients on a C-17 Globemaster III medical transport flight out
of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013. With help from the Critical
Care Air Transport Team, the crew can turn a regular medical transport aircraft
into a flying intensive care unit, making it possible to move severely injured
or gravely ill servicemembers by air. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chris
Willis) |
|
Maj. Michael Mackovich, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation
Squadron Critical Care Air Transport Team nurse, prepares to administer
intravenous medication during flight out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March
21, 2013. The CCATT crew is constantly on their feet during the flight to
observe and interact with the patients for any signs of medical need. (U.S. Air
Force photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
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Members of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Critical
Care Air Transport Team and the Craig Joint Theater Hospital intensive care
unit prepare to transport patients at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 21,
2013. The CCATT crew will unplug the patient from the hospital’s power and
respiratory machines and connect to mobile units that are positioned along with
stretchers for transport to a medical aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior
Airman Chris Willis) |
|
Capt. Suzanne Morris and Maj. Michael Mackovich, 455th Expeditionary
Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Critical Care Air Transport Team nurses,
connect a patient to CCATT medical equipment at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan,
March 21, 2013. A CCATT crew consists of a physician, intensive care nurse and
a respiratory therapist, making it possible to move severely injured or gravely
ill servicemembers by air. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
|
Capt.
Suzanne Morris, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Critical
Care Air Transport Team nurse, discusses a care plan with a patient before they
depart the aircraft on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 21, 2013. The CCATT
crew is constantly on their feet during the flight to observe and interact with
the patients for any signs of medical need. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman
Chris Willis)
|
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Capt. Mario Ramirez and Capt. Suzanne Morris, members of the 455th
Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Critical Care Air Transport Team,
confirm a patient's identity and prepare to administer a blood transfusion
during a flight out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013. A CCATT
crew consists of a physician, intensive care nurse and a respiratory therapist,
making it possible to move severely injured or gravely ill servicemembers by
air. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
|
Members of the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility and 455th
Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Critical Care Air Transport Team
assist patients onto C-17 Globemaster III at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan,
March 21, 2013. The CASF is the relay between the Craig Joint Theater Hospital
and aeromedical evacuation missions throughout Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force
photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
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Members of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and
the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility at Ramstein Air Base assist
patients on a bus bound for Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, March
22, 2013. LRMC provides state of the art care, using sophisticated
invasive/non-invasive medical equipment and is the only tertiary intensive care
unit within the European theatre. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chris
Willis) |
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Members of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and
the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility assist patients inside Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center, Germany, March 22, 2013. LRMC provides state of the
art care, using sophisticated invasive/non-invasive medical equipment and is
the only tertiary intensive care unit within the European theatre. (U.S. Air Force
photo/Senior Airman Chris Willis) |
(In
This Post) : This photo, article supplied by :
(USA.GOVT)
(U.S.A Army)
(The
Official) (03 – April – 2013)
http://www.usa.gov/
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