Montag, 10. Dezember 2012
MEDEVAC at Sea
lederstrumpf, 06:40h
Medical evacuation missions at sea can be quite tricky, but frequently are required. Most naval vessels only have a corpsman on board; medical doctors are assigned to larger warships, such as amphibious carriers or aircraft carriers. Most civilian vessels (except for cruise ships) have no medical personnel at all.
In Spring of 2011, a picture perfect medical evacuation was demonstrated by the US Navy.
On 27 April 2011 an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter airlifted a Sailor stricken with appendicitis from the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) to the US Navy’s hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20).
The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26. The squadron was attached to USNS Comfort as part of Operation Continuing Promise 2011 (CP '11).
The ill sailor was Russian born Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Mikhail. When the USNS Comfort was infromed that Grigoryev needed immediate medical attention, the helicopter was sent out to pick up the patient from USS Gary. This was at approximately 9 a.m. local time.
"A U.S. Sailor with apparent appendicitis was on board a ship that did not have the medical facilities to properly treat the case, so we flew out about 120 miles and picked him up," said pilot Lt. j.g. Philip Saulnier.
This airlift mission was Saulnier's first command of a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) mission. He later said that it felt good to help a fellow Sailor.
After the helicopter landed on board USS Gary, Canadian Navy Master Seaman Marcus McDonald, who had been assigned as the helicopter’s medic for the MEDEVAC mission, and Senior Chief Naval Aircrewman Justin Crowe, evaluatedGrigoryev and discussed the patient with the ship's corpsman.
"He came in to see us yesterday with some abdominal pain," said Chief Hospital Corpsman Ryan Hildebrand. "We did a workup on him and saw an increase in his pain and contacted the 4th Fleet surgeon with the recommendation to airlift the patient."
"Comfort had just recently come out of the canal and was about 30 miles out so instead of the two day ride into Panama, which is what it would have taken us, we closed our gap and got the helo out here so we could get him to a surgeon," said Hildebrand. "I'm glad they came out to get him and I appreciate everything from the USNS Comfort."
Grigoryev was taken aboard the helicopter and arrived on board USNS Comfort roughly one hour later. Ship’s surgeon Captain (Dr.) Beth Jaklic immediately performed an open appendectomy. She later said the operation went quite straightforward. She added that Grigoryev was expected to recover quickly.
"It was a case of right place at the right time," said Jaklic. "He was lucky and we were lucky to be here for him and it was much more straightforward for him to take a short helicopter flight to an American hospital than have to take a long ride to a foreign hospital or a long MEDEVAC back to the states. It was just a good opportunity that we happened to be close enough to help."
In Spring of 2011, a picture perfect medical evacuation was demonstrated by the US Navy.
On 27 April 2011 an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter airlifted a Sailor stricken with appendicitis from the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) to the US Navy’s hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20).
The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26. The squadron was attached to USNS Comfort as part of Operation Continuing Promise 2011 (CP '11).
The ill sailor was Russian born Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Mikhail. When the USNS Comfort was infromed that Grigoryev needed immediate medical attention, the helicopter was sent out to pick up the patient from USS Gary. This was at approximately 9 a.m. local time.
"A U.S. Sailor with apparent appendicitis was on board a ship that did not have the medical facilities to properly treat the case, so we flew out about 120 miles and picked him up," said pilot Lt. j.g. Philip Saulnier.
This airlift mission was Saulnier's first command of a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) mission. He later said that it felt good to help a fellow Sailor.
After the helicopter landed on board USS Gary, Canadian Navy Master Seaman Marcus McDonald, who had been assigned as the helicopter’s medic for the MEDEVAC mission, and Senior Chief Naval Aircrewman Justin Crowe, evaluatedGrigoryev and discussed the patient with the ship's corpsman.
"He came in to see us yesterday with some abdominal pain," said Chief Hospital Corpsman Ryan Hildebrand. "We did a workup on him and saw an increase in his pain and contacted the 4th Fleet surgeon with the recommendation to airlift the patient."
"Comfort had just recently come out of the canal and was about 30 miles out so instead of the two day ride into Panama, which is what it would have taken us, we closed our gap and got the helo out here so we could get him to a surgeon," said Hildebrand. "I'm glad they came out to get him and I appreciate everything from the USNS Comfort."
Grigoryev was taken aboard the helicopter and arrived on board USNS Comfort roughly one hour later. Ship’s surgeon Captain (Dr.) Beth Jaklic immediately performed an open appendectomy. She later said the operation went quite straightforward. She added that Grigoryev was expected to recover quickly.
"It was a case of right place at the right time," said Jaklic. "He was lucky and we were lucky to be here for him and it was much more straightforward for him to take a short helicopter flight to an American hospital than have to take a long ride to a foreign hospital or a long MEDEVAC back to the states. It was just a good opportunity that we happened to be close enough to help."
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