A Report from SOMA SA 2017

Charlotte, N.C. - During EMS Week 2017, I had the good fortune to attend the Special Operations Medical Association’s 2017 Scientific Assembly (SOMA SA) held at Charlotte Convention Center. Picture a conference filled with camouflage and dress uniforms. Medics and medical teams from the US Army “Green Berets” and Rangers; US Navy SEALS; US Air Force Pararescue; US Coast Guard Tactical Teams, and other “special operators” from NATO partner forces across the globe coming together for medical learning and information sharing.  Military nurses, PAs, physicians/surgeons, clinical researchers and even representatives of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were also in attendance. Other participants included federal, regional, state and local police, fire and EMS special operations and tactical team members from across the US and, in smaller numbers, from other nations, including the UK, Germany, Denmark, Australia and South Korea. Presenters were not people telling “war stories,” but highly trained and remarkably experienced “quiet professionals” sharing no-nonsense, high-value lessons learned from active combat settings and other high-risk environments domestically and across the entire globe. Resuscitation in hostile environments, battle zone ultrasound, prolonged field care, fresh whole blood (FWB) transfusion & freeze dried plasma (FDP), field acupuncture, procedural sedation and field “surgery,” “ShadowBox” cognitive skills training, human...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Operations Source Type: news