Ministry of Defence
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Military medical techniques saving lives at home

A lifesaving process, inspired by military practices, has been introduced by a UK major trauma centre to treat critically ill patients.

The major trauma centre at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, has launched a new streamlined patient pathway based on military medical techniques honed in Afghanistan to improve the survival rates of patients with gunshot or stab wounds. It is believed to be the first major trauma centre in the UK to take this new approach.

Based on a protocol developed at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in 2005 to treat the most seriously injured casualties as quickly as possible, the process involves bypassing the resuscitation room and taking casualties straight to theatre for surgery to stem bleeding and improve the chances of recovery.

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