Purpose: The Combat Medic Advanced Skills Training (CMAST) is offered to our military medics and nurses include maintaining an airway, breathing, bleeding, intravenous access, fluids, pain and infection control. The Combat Lifesaver Course (CLS) offered to the individual troop focuses on injuries leading to hemorrhage, limb loss, and infection. We are equipping troops with real life skills and devices to treat a buddy or themselves in the event of injury on the battlefield.

Objective: Wound care at the frontline was implemented as a direct result of the troops injured by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Iraq. Over 60% of all wounds on the battlefield are extremity wounds.

Outcomes: Control of bleeding, infection, and limb loss are managed with Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T), Emergency Trauma Dressing, hemostatic Dressing, and hemostatic powder. Soldiers on combat missions are equipped with an Improved First Aid Kit (IFAK). Military vehicles are equipped with enough supplies to take care of two critically injured casualties in their Warrior and Litter Kit (WALK). The “Combat Pill Pack” was instituted as an initial attempt to facilitate pain and infection control for troops that are injured, but still able to fight. The individual pill pack consists of an anti-inflammatory, mild pain medication, and an antibiotic.

Conclusion Courses offered for Army medical personnel are the Combat Medic Advanced Skills Training (CMAST), which was developed to provide an overview of care delivered at the frontline by a medic. The Combat Lifesaver Course (CLS) was designed to equip and skill the individual troop with buddy-aid skills to save lives and limbs. With these added skills training, medications, and supplies readily available for individual troop the morbidity, mortality, and severity of limb loss may be reduced considerably.