January at The Havok Journal was Health and Fitness month. Some of Havok's writers shared tips and ideas on how not to catch the flu, myostatin inhibitors, and crossfit. And then, there are those like me, those whose idea of fitness is more along the lines of “fitness whole pizza in my mouth” than it is about crossfit.Some of you are more into shoveling food into your … [Read more...]
Your “Tactical Tampon” is Useless for Life-Threatening Hemorrhage
Your "Tactical Tampon" is Useless for Life-Threatening Hemorrhage by Andrew FisherThe myth that tampons can quell life-threatening hemorrhage just won’t die. It seems that every other week a post on social media touts the amazing effects of tampons as a life-saving intervention (LSI). After all, there are anecdotes from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the veteran … [Read more...]
PTSD Treatments Aren’t Effective, So Government Green Lights… Ecstasy???
This article first appeared in The Havok Journal on 2 December 2016.PTSD Treatments Aren't Effective, So Government Green Lights... Ecstasy??? by Scott FaithIn yet another misguided attempt to address the legitimate plague of PTSD in America, the FDA recently approved a large scale trial to treat the condition with a powerful mind-affecting drug. You've probably heard … [Read more...]
The MARCH Algorithm in Tactical Combat Casualty Care
The MARCH algorithm is synonymous with Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). It is a simple acronym for remembering the necessary steps in priority for saving lives in combat. M-massive hemorrhage, A-airway, R-respiratory, C-circulation, and H-hypothermia.Recently EMS1.com published an article about the concept of the MARCH algorithm. While it is well known that civilian … [Read more...]
Tranexamic Acid (TXA): Does it Really Make a Difference?
Bleeding continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in combat. Even with all the medical advances and the ubiquitous use of extremity tourniquets has not been able to save everyone. There are wounds, where a tourniquet cannot be applied and we cannot apply pressure against a bone to compress the artery that is bleeding. These wounds are in the thorax and called … [Read more...]
3 Must-Have Emergency Lifesavers for Your Car
Trauma is the leading cause of death for ages 44 and younger. It is also the leading cause of productive life years lost for ages 75 and under. That is greater than heart disease and cancer combined. As a result of poor understanding of bystander trauma care, people die unnecessarily. You do not want to find yourself at the Disaster Gap unprepared and have people die while … [Read more...]
Medicinal Marijuana and PTSD: Not All It’s Puffed Up To Be?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a troublesome process that has crippled up to 13% of the veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.1 In a recent article Donald Bumanglag discussed his personal journey with PTSD and how he found relief with medicinal cannabis. My fellow Ranger and fellow Havok Journal writer Donovan Ronin recently wrote a … [Read more...]
The Realities of Mass Migration and Central America Diseases
Andrew D. Fisher, MPAS, APA-C Andrew D. Fisher is stationed at Fort Benning, GA and at the time this article was written, was a Physician Assistant in the U.S. Army. He has no financial interest in any products mentioned, nor has any conflict of interested to disclose. These opinions are his own and are not endorsed by the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense. This article … [Read more...]
Brain Games: A Shock to the System
This article first appeared in the Havok Journal on 8 August 2014. _____ When I first learned about a new experimental technique, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS), I was interested, then… saddened. The Pentagon ordered this research to increase alertness in service members, to cut training time, and to sharpen reaction time.TDCS is the delivery of a mild … [Read more...]
As His Eyes Closed: Sometimes “Sim-Men” Aren’t Enough
by Dr. Johnathan WishboneThis article first appeared on 24 November 2014. _____ As his eyes closed, I took notice of the blood-soaked gurney he rested on in my peripheral vision. My concentration focused on the small wheel I created with the needle and syringe on his throat. Calling to the nurse for the scalpel, I looked at his oxygen level plummeting on the monitor in … [Read more...]