Battlefield-related wound infections complicate recovery from combat casualties. A new study described what pathogens are more likely to cause morbidity at what times of the year to help better manage the infections.
VA Adopts New Standards for Treating Older Veterans in EDs
The VA is trying to better serve its older patient population by adopting accredited geriatric emergency departments in many agency hospitals.
New VA Therapy Reduces Pain, Disability, PTSD Symptoms Following TBI
Military servicemembers and veterans are at high risk for head injury compared with civilians. More than 369,000 U.S. veterans have at least one mild traumatic brain injury, and many report the onset or worsening of headache within three months of their injury.
MHS Researchers Found Current Antibiotic Dosing Guidelines Adequate for Critically Ill Patients With Trauma, Burn
Critical illness caused by burn and sepsis doesn’t alter how the body processes piperacillin and tazobactam (pip-tazo), an antibiotic and beta-lactamase inhibitor drug combination
Military/VA Search for New, Nonopioid Methods to Combat Chronic Pain
The last decade has seen health systems the world over shift away from using opioids for pain management. First there was the too-slow understanding that opioids are addictive and were being massively over-prescribed.
Mortality Is Higher Than Expected in Post-9/11 Veterans With TBI
In the 20th century, military servicemembers were found to be healthier than the average individual, with lower mortality rates than their U.S. civilian counterparts.
Criticism Continues About VA’s Handling of Military Sexual Trauma Claims
Has the VA improved its process of dealing with military sexual trauma, or are errors resulting in veterans being denied the care they need?
New Focus Is on Taking Care of Victims of Military Sexual Assault
As DoD officials look to make good on President Joe Biden’s promise to address sexual assault and harassment in the military, they are framing a portion of that effort in terms of a pressing public health need.
Veteran Homelessness Likely to Increase With End of Eviction Moratorium
While the last decade has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of veterans who are homeless on any given night, that trend has stalled in the last two years with numbers, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting to move upward again.
Sleep Disorders More Prevalent in Army Vs. Other Services
While sleep problems are widespread in active-duty U.S. military servicemembers, Army personnel appear to have the most problems.
Untangling the Mystery Behind Blast-Induced Neurological Complications
Explosive blasts account for a majority of the injuries among wounded servicemembers, but some of the most long-term and damaging effects of blast exposure might be slipping by undetected.
Psychologist Emphasizes Social Support’s Importance for Veterans
SAN ANTONIO—If there’s one thing that Sandra Morissette, PhD, wants people to understand about veterans is that, when it comes to the need for social support in order to heave a healthy, functional life, they are no different than their civilian counterparts. And the...
Mortality, Amputation from Critical Limb Ischemia Declining at VA
IOWA CITY, IOWA — High rates of diabetes, obesity, smoking, and other risk factors elevate veterans’ risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia.
Resting, Resuming Specific Activities Enhance Servicemembers’ mTBI Recovery
Acute Period Expanded from 48 to 72 Hours After Injury SILVER SPRING, MD—Successful and speedy recovery from mild traumatic brain injury or concussion is more complex than previously thought. A pair of studies by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center determined...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy As Cost-Effective As Medications After Five Years
VA Study: More Depression Patients Should Get Access to Talk Therapy BOSTON – Nationwide, about a fourth of patients diagnosed with major depression are treated with talk therapy by a trained counselor. Many more might prefer that approach to taking medication, but...
New Comprehensive VA/DoD Guideline Seeks to Stem Tide of Suicides
Servicemembers, Veterans Take Their Own Lives at Higher Rates
WASHINGTON—In recent decades, suicide rates have soared in the United States, increasing 25% from 1999 to 2016.
The issue has been especially acute among military servicemembers and veterans.
Best Pain Rating Scales for Cognitively Impaired Veterans
Cognitive-behavioral impairment can be intensified by pain in traumatic brain injury patients and impede rehabilitation efforts
Seeing Combat Can Make Aging More Difficult for Veterans
PORTLAND, OR—Being exposed to combat makes a significant difference in how military veterans fare during aging, according to a new study, which also found that the experience increases the risk for depression and anxiety later in life. “There are a lot factors of...
Combat PTSD/TBI Increases Amygdala Size in Military Patients
SAN DIEGO — The region of the brain that processes fear, anxiety, aggression and similar emotions is larger in veterans and active-duty service members with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury than those with brain injuries only.
Army Doctor’s Unique Training Helps Improve Battlefield Medicine
SAN ANTONIO— Col. Andrew Cap, the division chief of Acute Combat Casualty Research at the Army Institute of Surgical Research, admits that he’s the last person you want to ask for advice on how to plan out a career in medical research.
VA Opposes Law Loosening Benefit Requirements for MST Survivors
WASHINGTON—New legislation would make it easier for victims of military sexual trauma to receive benefits, but the VA is opposing it. Among other provisions, the bill would lower the burden of proof necessary for MST survivors to prove service connection, allow...
Mental Health Treatment Alone Won’t Stem Veteran Suicides
Joint House VA, Military Subcommittee Hearing Tackles Issue WASHINGTON—In a rare joint hearing by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel and VA Subcommittee on Health, legislators examined how DoD and VA are working to address the increase in...
Legislators Express Outrage Over Military Sexual Trauma Issues Subhead: Senator Describes Her Experience as Air Force Rape Victim
WASHINGTON—A recent survey of the military service academies found that sexual assault has spiked over the last two years, up 50% since 2016. This news sparked fresh outrage from legislators, resulting in a hearing focusing on how military sexual trauma is dealt with...
For Memory Issues, It’s Not So Much the Concussion as the Blast
BOSTON—Many more servicemembers might have been injured by blasts in Iraq and Afghanistan than previously reported.