Two and a half years ago, Sgt. Brian Wilhelm and his infantry unit were ambushed in Iraq. He was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in the left leg. After he was evacuated to a field hospital, he received a new form of pain control: the AmbIT infusion pump. This device allowed him to stay pain-free and conscious during the amputation:
The pain control technique that the military anesthesiologist used involves the precise delivery of local anesthetic via catheter to a limb-specific nerve, which blocks pain signals from wound to brain. This method provides immediate, profound pain relief to excruciating wounds of the extremities. In addition to immediate cessation of Wilhelm’s pain, the new pain-control technique brought him a long-term medical benefit. In the past, a large percentage of soldiers who lost limbs in battle reported phantom pain for years afterwards, a result of their pain not being treated at the source or managed well. “Two years after the injury, I feel no phantom pains or sensations,” Wilhelm said…
..Sorenson Medical’s new generation of microprocessor-controlled medical infusion pumps are about the size of a TV remote and run on two AA batteries. These ambIT pumps are flexible, accurate and reliable even in the heat and dust of a Middle East desert battlefield. “My infusion pump had to withstand the weather conditions of Iraq, air pressure changes of the evacuation flights, and still manage my pain levels throughout the trip. That speaks volumes about the ambIT infusion pump’s quality and the care Sorenson Medical takes in the development of their products,” said Wilhelm.
We’ve noted before that this war is giving rise to advances in trauma care and prosthetics. It’s comforting to note that other important interventions — such as pain control — aren’t being overlooked.
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