Thesis
Mitigating exertional heat injuries in National Guardsman during disaster preparedness exercises
Washington State University
Master of Nursing (MN), Washington State University
2013
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100593
Abstract
Despite military operations and lessons learned in Southeast Asia over the last decade, exertional heat injuries (EHI) there continues to be a negative effect on the health of soldiers and directly impacting operations in the continental United States. EHIs are described as a continuum of disease, progressing from heat cramps, to heat exhaustion, and finally, to heat stroke, a true medical emergency. The current surveillance tools for EHI are inadequate and not evidence based: they were created to fulfill regulatory requirements. Furthermore, they currently do not assess risk to prevent EHI. This is a retrospective , cross-sectional descriptive study that reports on data collected over the course of a three day exercise where disaster trained Army and Air National Guardsmen were subjected to physical exertion in a chemical suit with temperatures (in Fahrenheit) from the high 70s to mid 80s. Current surveillance techniques for EHI are explored with recommendations to identify those at risk and reduce heat related casualties. In addition, recommendations include modifying the current screening tool used by Homeland Response Force (HRF) and other chemical units to better capture at risk information, improving evaluation of military personnel, and tracking data for quality improvements in safety processes.
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Details
- Title
- Mitigating exertional heat injuries in National Guardsman during disaster preparedness exercises
- Creators
- Gregory Bryant Proulx
- Contributors
- Denise A. Smart (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Nursing, College of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Nursing (MN), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525149801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis