Development of an evidence-based pressure ulcer program at the National Naval Medical Center: nurses' role in risk factor assessment, prevention, and intervention among young service members returning from OIF/OEF.

Since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the incidence of pressure ulcers from various causes has increased. This article discusses the knowledge nurses need to care for casualties returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) who may be at risk for developing pressure ulcers. This article also describes the development of an evidence-based pressure ulcer awareness program for young adults aged 18 to 35 years at a military treatment facility that receives casualties from OIF/OEF.

Protocol for the assessment of potential health effects from embedded metal fragments.

Potential health issues arising from embedded metal fragment injuries are an operational health issue in the military medical community. Embedded fragment injuries can occur not only from standard-use munitions, but also from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). With few exceptions, the behavior of metal fragments, when embedded in the body, is not known.

The use of established skeletal muscle cell lines to assess potential toxicity from embedded metal fragments.

The use of novel materials on the modern battlefield, both in military munitions as well as in Improvised Explosive Devices, opens the possibility of wounds with embedded fragments whose health effects and toxicity characteristics have not been fully investigated, if at all. The costly and time-consuming nature of standard two-year lifespan studies prohibits the testing of many materials. In this report, we describe an in vitro system for rapidly assessing potential toxicity of metals and metal mixtures.