The Chess Game of Ammo Type and Shot Placement by Sydney Vail, MD This article originally appeared in PoliceMag.com under the title "Stopping Power: Myths, Legends and Realities." It was first re-posted in Havok Journal on 15JAN15. _____ As a trauma surgeon and a tactical medical specialist, I am often asked by law enforcement officers what caliber and type of handgun … [Read more...]
Myostatin Inhibitors: Life Saver Or The Next “Performance Enhancing Drug?”
Originally published in The Havok Journal on 14 July 2014. _____ In 1997 Dr. Se-Jin Lee and Alexandra McPherron from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discovered a gene encoding a substance known as myostatin. These two geneticists were able to successfully breed mice who possessed so-called “loss of function mutations” in the gene responsible for the production of … [Read more...]
PTSD Treatments Aren’t Effective, So Government Green Lights… Ecstasy???
PTSD Treatments Aren't Effective, So Government Green Lights... Ecstasy??? by Scott Faith This article first appeared in The Havok Journal on 2 December 2016 and was updated after subsequent reporting on this subject.In 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 … [Read more...]
Saving lives one TBI Treatment at a time: EOD techs start non-profit
We are the Invictus Project. We are EOD technicians. We are survivors. We are laying everything on the line to make a real difference to veterans and others who suffer with mental illness and depression._______________________________________________________________________________________Written by Jeff Haugland and Sam PetersonWe are all aware of the staggering … [Read more...]
The MARCH Algorithm in Tactical Combat Casualty Care
The MARCH Algorithm in Tactical Combat Casualty Care by Andrew Fisher this article was first published in September 2017The 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 … [Read more...]
Tranexamic Acid (TXA): Does it Really Make a Difference?
Tranexamic Acid (TXA): Does it Really Make a Difference? by Andrew FisherBleeding 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 … [Read more...]
Why We Need To Stop Opioid Hysteria
Why We Need To Stop Opioid Hysteria Written by Special Guest and Lead author: Jeffrey J. Bilyk, A-EMCA, ACP. The HypeIf you've spent any amount of time on Facebook or Twitter chances are there have been articles or photos shared on your newsfeed/timeline. Maybe you've noticed stories with fire departments and law enforcement agencies in full hazmat gear to remove a bit … [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...]
SpecOps Doc: It’s Better To Get Shot With An AK-47 Than An M4/AR-15
SpecOps Doc Explains Why It's Better To Get Shot With An AK-47 Than An M4/AR-15 by Dan PronkEditor's Note: Dr. Dan Pronk is an Australian medical doctor who spent much of his time in the Australian Army assigned to Special Operations units. This article first appeared in the TacMed blog, and later in several other blogs, and is re-posted here with the permission of the … [Read more...]
Quit Ovary-Acting! A Havok Guide to Hysterectomies
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...]