Primary trauma care experience of army reserve combat medics: is a new approach needed?

Combat medics play a significant role in any fighting unit. In recent years, during times of peace and low-intensity military conflicts, as well as in operations other than war, reserve combat medics have been challenged to treat major casualties in the field. Although this work requires important manual skills, the medics perform basic treatment maneuvers that are not necessarily for saving of lives. A sample survey of reserve combat medics revealed that most (70%) were engaged in medical care for trauma victims during their regular and reserve service. Many (32.5%) were involved in incidents with multiple casualties. These incidents included seriously injured victims, with 39.2% of the medics being involved with air evacuation and 44.4% with fatalities. Not all medics are exposed to major trauma, but for those who are, the numbers of patients per medic is not large. Therefore, the need to educate the medics in cognitive, and more importantly, in manual skills, is obvious. Suggestions for the means to do so are provided.