NCJ Number
63595
Date Published
1977
Length
26 pages
Annotation
MEDICAL RESCUE AS AN ANTITERRORIST STRATEGY, BOTH TO REDUCE CASUALTIES AND TO REDUCE FEAR OF TERRORISM, IS DISCUSSED BY A SURGEON AT AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON RESEARCH STRATEGIES FOR STUDYING TERRORISM.
Abstract
THE MEDICAL RESCUE STRATEGIES ARE BASED ON LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS AND COMMUNITY TEST MODELS INVOLVING AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS. MODERN MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE INDICATES THAT A SUPERIOR SYSTEM OF MEDICAL RESCUE CAN PRODUCE A 20 PERCENT HIGHER SALVAGE RATE IN TERRORIST INCIDENTS THAN IS CURRENTLY OBTAINED. REGARDLESS OF INFLICTING WEAPON, THE INITIAL EFFECT OF WOUNDING IS INCAPACITATION OF THE RESPIRATORY AND/OR CIRCULATORY SYSTEMS. SINCE HUMANS HAVE UNIFORM PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO THESE INJURIES, CERTAIN RESUSCITATION TECHNIQUES ARE USUALLY EFFECTIVE IF APPLIED WITHIN 6 MINUTES TO AN HOUR POST INJURY. EQUIPMENT NEEDS ARE A 50-POUND MEDICAL PACK AND RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH AN ADVISORY PHYSICIAN. RESUSCITATION ENTAILS OXYGEN VENTILATION, MAINTENANCE OF BLOOD VOLUME AND CIRCULATION, POSITIONING, SPLINTING, AND CONTROL OF EXTERNAL HEMORRHAGE. ADVANCED TREATMENT COULD BE PROVIDED USING EVACUATION TO A HOSPITAL OR PORTABLE INTENSIVE CARE AND SURGICAL FACILITIES. FOR DEALING WITH TERRORISM INCIDENTS, SUCH A SYSTEM SHOULD INCLUDE (1) REGIONAL RADIO AND TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS, (2) GROUND AND AIR RESCUE AND TRANSPORT VEHICLES AND STAFF, (3) HOSPITAL DEPARTMENTS WITH TRAINED EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS AND RADIO TELEMETRY BASES, AND (4) OPERATIONAL TRAUMA TEAMS. AN EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER IS ALSO AN ASSET. FURTHER RESEARCH ON ESTABLISHING SUCH A SYSTEM, TRAINING, AND EQUIPMENT IS RECOMMENDED. AN APPENDIX LISTING A RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. FOR RELATED PAPERS FROM THE SAME SEMINAR, SEE NCJ-63591-63594 AND 63596-63600. (CFW)