MEDICAL PREP FOR YOUR DEPLOYMENT
MAJ Tom Garigan
- The following is meant to be a reference for your medical
preparation for deployment. A recent article in Military Medicine
(1) (Popper et al)highlighted some common problems:
-
- lack of current physical examination in medical record;
- undetected pregnancy;
- lack of updated immunizations or HIV testing;
- uncertain medical standards for deployment;
- incomplete medical records:
- hallway medicine for medical personnel- non-documented medical
care including prescriptions;
- specialty clinics keeping separate records;
- visits outside the military health care system;
- confidentiality concerns, esp. with regards to mental health
clinical evaluations and treatment.
-
- A subsequent article in Military Medicine (2) (Amato, RS)
listed several more problems with medical mobilization of a reserve
battalion, some of which were:
-
- difficulty obtaining supplies of medication, eyeglasses and
optical inserts during mobilization;
- Physicians who are actually involved in evaluating others
for deployment must be briefed on their mission, role in the
deployment process, and the medical standards for deployment.
- From observations during Soldier Readiness Processing for
the ongoing mission in the former Yugoslavia, it is also apparent
that:
- Medical personnel have medical problems that do not prevent
them from performing stateside health care or administrative,
duties, and therefore do not have a profile, yet are significantly
limited physically and require medical evaluation during a hectic
time period of deployment preparation;
- Medical personnel often keep their records, so that records
rooms are unable to include documents.
-
- PERSONAL MEDICAL CHECKLIST FOR DEPLOYMENT:
- Immunization Record (requirements are subject to change)
- At Initial Entry:
- MMR (documentation of two total if born after 1956)
- Tetanus-Diphtheria (booster every 10 years)
- Tetravalent meningococcal series(booster every 5 years)
- Adenovirus type 4/7
- Polio series
- Hepatitis A series (booster every 4 years)
- Anthrax series (annual booster)
- Alert Forces
- Yellow Fever (booster every 10 years)
- Typhoid series(booster every 3 years if injectable vaccine,
5 years if oral vaccine)
- Plague (two-shot series; give booster upon deployment and
Q6 months while at risk)
- Rabies series
- Upon deployment to endemic area
- Japanese Encephalitis (booster every 3 years)
- Hepatitis B series
- Rabies series
- Plague (see above)
- Yellow fever (see above)
- Typhoid (see above)
- Cholera (rarely recommended)
- PPD
- Occupational Exposure
- Rabies
- Plague (see above)
- Hepatitis B series(medical personnel and military police)
- Annual
- Influenza (if in Southern Hemisphere: give April through
September)
- Anthrax
-
- Medical Records
- Current HIV
- Current PPD
- DNA sample on file
- pregnancy test or adequate documentation of hysterectomy
- permanent and temporary profiles
- Last physical exam
- flight status: current up-slip
-
- Dental Records
- Current Panorex
- Recent dental exam (remember- 20% of DNBI are dental)
-
- Allergy Warning Tag
-
- Dog tags
- with verified blood type
-
- Current Eyeglass prescription (written copy)
- Three pair glasses, with straps
- Two pair NBC mask inserts
- prescription or clip on sunglasses
-
- Hearing Aids
-
- Personal Medications in clearly marked bottles or zip lock
bags
- Prescription- 90 days
- PRN- NSAID, headache, allergy, URI, vaginitis, UTI
- Sunscreen
- lip balm
- foot powder
- antifungal rx
- feminine hygiene items
- insect repellent
-
- References:
- (1) Popper, SE et al "Readiness: Observations and Comments
from a Medical Team Deployment" Military Medicine
- Vol. 162, Feb. 1997 pp109-112
- (2) Amato, RS "Medical Aspects of Mobilization for War
in an Army Reserve Battalion" Military Medicine Vol. 162,
Apr. 1997 pp 244-248
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