Aeromedical evacuations from Operation Iraqi Freedom: A descriptive study

Objective: To describe health patterns in evacuated military members during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and utilize demographic, diagnostic, and pre- and postdeployment health information to understand the utility of data collected for aeromedical evacuations. Methods: We conducted a descriptive analysis of U.S. evacuees from 2003 using data from the U.S. Transportation Command's Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System and the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Results: The typical patient was an Army male under the age of 29 requiring orthopedic or surgical care. Disease/ nonbattle injuries were six times as common as battle injuries and 94% were classified as routine evacuees. Eighty-six percent had health data available in the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Two thirds had pre- and/or postdeployment questionnaire data. Conclusions: Combining data sources increases our understanding of disease patterns in deployed troops. Targeted preventive interventions can then be implemented. Changes in the U.S. Transportation Command's Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System database can improve its utility as an epidemiological tool.