 Click for
larger picture |
Historically, the route from injury to
definitive care was quite prolonged. Level 1 care provides only minimal
resuscitative or stabilization capability. Evacuation to a Level 2 field
hospital capable of further stabilization could take up to a day and is
termed Casualty Evacuation. Furthermore, it could take up to a week to get
to a facility with significant surgical subspecialty capability such as a
Level 3 theater hospital. This evacuation is called tactical evacuation.
These facilities while transportable were large requiring significant
airflow to move and were slow to build up and take down. Hence, as the
conflict progressed and the front line moved, the distance from the point of
wounding to Level 3 care could become quite significant. Finally, it could
take up to two weeks to get someone out of theater to a Level 4 definitive
care facility. Survival from significant injuries was difficult with this
timeline. |
