Mandatory Tactical Combat Casualty Care: Now What? by Andrew FisherThis article was originally published in March of 2018. From the Next Generation Combat Medic Admins Recently, GEN Joseph Votel, commander of Central Command (CENTCOM) mandated that allilitary personnel deploying to the CENTCOM Area of Operations (AO) must have completed Tactical Combat Casualty Care … [Read more...]
Fake News: “Studies Show that Current Military Tourniquets are Inherently Flawed”
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.The basis for this article was pulled from a website that has the intent of mostly discrediting the Combat Application Tourniquet® (CAT), but some studies do mention 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...]
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...]
“Hey Doc, Why Do You Always Give Me Motrin?”
Editor's Note: January is "fitness Month" on Havok Journal. In this article, first published in December of 2015, Army Ranger and Physician Assistant Andrew Fisher offers an explanation into that time-honored quesion, "Hey Doc, why do you always give me Motrin?" _____ Andrew D. Fisher is stationed at Fort Benning, GA and at the time this article was written, was a Physician … [Read more...]
Combating Cancer: The Potential And Promise of CD47 For Breast Cancer And Beyond
This article first appeared in The Havok Journal on 27 May 2014. _____ "I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, not lived in the shadow of cancer but in the light." -Patrick Swayze If your body is made up of cells, then you’ll want to read this article.According to the American Cancer Society’s “Cancer Facts and Figures 2014” approximately … [Read more...]
ADHD: Dissecting the Diagnosis
Editor's Note: This Havok Journal exclusive is a collaboration between Havok Journal writers Justina Bahriak, Andrew Fisher, and Monica Hartz, each of whom provided a unique perspective to this article. This article originally appeared in The Havok Journal on 16 October 2014. _____ While some minor word changes were made between the DSM-IV and DSM-V, the criteria that needs … [Read more...]
“Breathe:” What It’s Like To Be A Special Forces Medic
"Breathe:" What It's Like To Be A Special Forces Medic by Aaron SmithBreathe. Breathe. Breathe.Training takes over, I need gloves!Where the fuck are my gloves??Hands slippery with sweat struggle to put them on,Too hard, Too Hard! Try another pair…They’re too small and I’m too sweaty.Get to work.Bare hands now, slipping down into the … [Read more...]
The Chess Game of Ammo Type and Shot Placement
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...]