U.S. Army Medical Correspondence Course: Intravenous Infusions and Related Tasks - Obtaining Blood Specimen, Treatment for Anaphylactic Shock, Universal Body Substance Precautions

The medical soldier caring for patients provides a valuable service to his comrades. He must meet high standards with integrity, dignity, calm thinking, and careful study. The purpose of this subcourse is to provide you with a working knowledge of the procedures discussed herein.

This subcourse is approved for resident and correspondence course instruction. It reflects the current thought of the Academy of Health Sciences and conforms to printed Department of the Army doctrine as closely as currently possible.

LESSON 1 - INITIATE AN INTRAVENOUS INFUSION AND MANAGE A PATIENT WITH AN INTRAVENOUS INFUSION * Exercises * LESSON 2 - OBTAIN A BLOOD SPECIMEN * Exercises * LESSON 3 - INITIATE TREATMENT FOR ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK * Exercises * UNIVERSAL BODY SUBSTANCE PRECAUTIONS

As a soldier medic, you will be providing medical care in a variety of situations. The method you will use to control hemorrhage in a casualty will likely depend on the tactical situation. Once hemorrhage has been controlled, the casualty may need fluid resuscitation to combat hypovolemic (low volume of fluid in the circulatory system) shock or to help prevent hypovolemic shock. This lesson will concentrate on the battlefield methods. It is imperative that all bleeding has been stopped before any attempt to start an intravenous infusion is performed.