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I used to work for a Boy Scout camp at which i still volunteer at. I was, at one point, in charge of the medical office. One of the biggest frustrations I had was not having access to a vehicle in an emergency. The camp is 2000 +/- acres. The camp itself has two John Deere gators with a truck-style bed, not suitable for medical treatment. So basically what I am looking for is some type of grant to help purchase a John Deere/Polaris/Honda, etc. UTV with a medical/rescue skid unit to transport patients. The camp is non-profit. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!

FIRST ANNUAL MINI SOMA CONFERENCE TUESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2012 0800-1600. FT. BRAGG CLUB (LAFAYETTTE ROOM) FT. BRAGG NC To better serve our SOF medical community located at Ft. Bragg and environs, the SOMA BOD has decided to hold our first annual "mini" SOMA program at Ft. Bragg. The program is open to all SOMA members and non members who have an interest in SOF medicine. FREE PROGRAM—OPEN TO ALL The program is free (estimated cost of program is $21 per attendee) but seating is limited so preregistration is strongly suggested. If you pre-register on our site, please show up by 0745, on 18 SEPTEMBER to be first seated. After 0745, any open seats will given to walk in attendees. FREE LUNCH Refreshments will be provided during our morning break and we will have a free buffet lunch provided to all attendees from 1200-1300. FREE CMEs All attendees will have option to obtain CME/CEUs for attending the full day program. SOMA is in process of applying for 6.5 hours of credit. FIRST ANNUAL MINI SOMA PROGRAM 18 SEPTEMBER 2012 0800-0815; WELCOME COL Robert Harrington SOMA President 0815-0830; KEYNOTE WELCOME MG Paul LaCamera 0830-0840; WELCOME COL Peter Benson, USASOC Surgeon 0840-0910; TC3 Committee Update. Rick Strayer TCCC Committee Member. 0910-0930; Head Trauma MSG Jered Eldred 0930-0950; Ultrasound Review CPT Bill Vasios 0950-1010; SOF CA Medical Update, MSG Dennis Lyons 1010-1030; BREAK 1030-1050; SOF Med Equipment Update, MSG Kyle Sims 1050-1130; SOCMSSC Update, Win Kerr 1130-1200: SOF Medicine in Perspective, COL. Warner Anderson 1200-1300; FREE BUFFET FOR ALL ATTENDEES 1300-1320; Medical Lessons Learned, 18D, TBA 1320-1350; USASOC Mental Health Issues; Maj. Kim 1350-1420; Military Working Dog Vignettes, Maj. Baker 1420-1440; MARSOC Medical Update, TBA 1440-1500: SOF Dentistry, COL Harrington 1500-1600: USSOCOM CASEVAC Program, Mr. Luciano. With hands on demonstration of equipment 1600. Program Finish TO REGISTER: Go to www.specialoperationsmedicine.org, create an account, and register. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A SOMA MEMBER TO ATTEND.

Hey all, here's something I'd like to think about. What would be some good universal hand signals for working at an MCI? In a perfect world, of course, everyone would have the best radios that work all the time and all agencies involved would work together in a seamless fashioned. Unfortunately, that's rarely the case. I think that EMS should add the use of hand signals for line of sight communication in case of transmission problems with radios. For instance, let's say you were doing triage, and wanted to relay your count back to the incident commander. You could point to your eyes for "I see" then make a signal for "patients", then hold your fingers up for how many, and at a hand signal for the appropriate color, red, yellow, green, or black. I think a big one would be a universally recognizable signal for "evacuate", something equivalent to what three blasts of a fire truck's air horns mean. Something that when you see it, you relay it quickly and then GTFO. What other signals could be useful?

Hello all here is weekly case #2. Hint - this weeks case will require some appropriate questions and investigation. On a separate note, there is not a possibility to obtain CEUs for case reviews without gaining approval number from every state. Case Presentation: 16 y/o female and her classmate leave school and drive to her house. During drive home, the patient states that she is starting to feel nauseous. Once arriving home the patient tells her friend that she has to use the bathroom for increased nausea and to see if her mom has any medication for nausea. Approximately 10 minutes she emerges from the bathroom stating she vomited once and had found some medication that she thinks is for nausea. About 25 minutes while doing homework the patients friend notices that the she does not seem to be acting correct, she appears as though her head is turned left and slightly upward, eyes midline to left deviation, her tongue appears to be continously darting in and out of her mouth and licking the top lip. She gets scared and calls 911....you arrive to find the below patient. Initial presentation: Awake sitting on sofa, slightly drooling from mouth. Head slightly flexed to left with an upward tilt. Neck muscles seem to be slightly protruded. PEARL, midline to left upward deviation. Upper extremities slightly flexed medial. When asked what her complaint is, the patient with some extertion states, (slightly slurred) that she cannot turn her head. Initial Vitals: HR 122, BP 104/78 RR 22 SpO2 100% PMH: None Allg: Unknown Disucssion points: What information do you feel you need, what differential diagnosis do you suspect , treatment thoughts, transport thoughts

Having done more than a few mountain rescue's in my life, I knew it would only be a matter of time until such tims as I get a phone call for one in Namibia. Yesterday was that day, at around 14:00 my phone rings and it's the Senior Ops manager of the Company I am currently employed by. She explained that a hiker on the Brandberg Mountain located on the north west of Namibia, went up the mountain and on the way down, slipped and broke his ankle. I am advised that it will be an overnight stay on the mountain upon which we will then decide whether we will carry the patient down the mountain in the morning or fly him off with a helicopter. So, I get my stuff together and drive to the office to sort out the rest of what's needed for this operation. Getting there I am greeted by a Architect (obviously gay) and another Doctor. Both of them know the mountain and specifically the trail we will walking very well. I am also informed that we will have 10 local guides await us a small little town called Uis. After having sorted out the equipment and medications like Morphine should the patient require it for pain, Adrenaline in case it's needed for bee stings, some Lidocaine to be used as a local anaesthetic. We get in the car, hiking gear, medical equipment and a Satellite phone for communications and take the 3 hour drive to the mountain side. Long story short, we eventually arrive at the foot of the mountain and start our ascent at 21:50. The experienced people say it will be about a 3 hour hike to the location of the patient. Something I haven't done in about 5 years, none the less I was up for it. for about an hour 1 walked no problem at all enjoying the cold breeze and sipping away at my energy drink. As we start climbing, one of the local guides see eyes and alerts us to it. Everyone shines their headlights on it, and there it is, 10 meters away from us. A set of green eyes, just looking at us. The most experienced of the guides think it's a leopard seeing as leopard, cheetah and lion still roam free here. Then, it makes a familiar "whoo hoo" call and flies off. So on we walk, knowing the patient has been laying on the mountain since 11:00 the morning and it gets seriously hot up here during the day. We have no idea how prepared the dude is, whether he still has food and water etc. With these thoughts we push on. About 30 minutes I had to stop for a rest, my chest was wheezing (yes I am a smoker) my legs just would not go any more. This after having climbed about 250m solid rock at an angle of 45+ deg. Then I am informed that this is what I will be doing up to about 100m from the patient where the slope increases. My first thought at that point? "I am going to kick his other ankle off as well!" At this point the more experienced folks suggest I make camp so that we can meet up again when they are on their way down. Being a "hard assed" person by nature I gave them the sat phone and said I will meet them at the patient. They push ahead while I catch my breath and two guides that stayed with me have a spliff. Yes, apparently Durban poison would be their brand of choice. We push on, climbing and climbing and climbing. Somewhere along the way I remember thinking "F@c nature and everything associated with it". Then the moon broke of the eastern side of the mountain. What an amazing view! Looking back to where we started, the site takes your breath away. I push on with the two guides doing their job, lying my way up. "Just past those rocks", "Just past that tree", "just past that rocky outcrop." Eventually at 02:45 we reach the patient, he's happy to see us, even though the more experienced and fitter people reached him just after 01:00. I have a smoke (or the record, the strongest B&H No.1 ever) unroll my sleeping bag and just sleep on top of it. At 06:00 I am awoken by the ring of the sat phone, it's the office alerting me that the chopper will be inbound for the patient. At first I was seriously pissed that they would phone me simply to tell me that the chopper will take off at 07:00 and take 01:45min to reach us, then I see the sun rise. Suddenly, the trip up, the swearing, sweating and vomiting, blistered feet was well worth it. Here I was sitting on the side of a mountain at an altitude of 1680m above sea level watching the African sun rise of the distant hills way below us. Another upside, I managed to shed 2kg on that walk last night. Photo's to follow as soon as I have had some rest and feel slightly more human! Be safe out there!