Prototype of a Simulator for Hemorrhage Control During Tactical Medical Care for Combat Wounded

Abstract

Tactical emergency medical services are outpatient care provided in hostile situations by specially trained professionals. The care and attention to the sick wounded or injured patients is of vital importance to save lives. Disasters, combats, and conflicts are high-acuity events that occur in chaotic, hostile, and austere environments. Our country’s armed forces need to strengthen the training of military personnel and form a team of combat nurses, or their equivalent, tactical medical operators. The objective of this work was to develop the prototype of a virtual simulator that included a virtual environment, several 3D objects, and a virtual task. The developed prototype will allow military personnel to be trained to control hemorrhages during tactical assistance to a combat wounded. For interaction and immersion, VR devices were used. The results obtained showed that the virtual task and the devices used in the developed prototype could be a useful and complementary tool for permanent training. The participants reported that they had fun and learned a lot by doing the virtual task because they were completely immersed and focused.