Forward surgical teams
Mobile medical units / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the United States Army, Medical Detachments (Forward Surgical), popularly known as Forward Surgical Teams (FST), are small, mobile surgical units. A functional operating room can be established within one and a half hours of being on scene and break down to move to a new location within two hours of ceasing operations.
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The FST typically includes 20 staff members: 4 surgeons, 3 RNs, 2 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), 1 administrative officer, 1 detachment sergeant, 3 licensed practical nurses (LPN)'s, 3 surgical techs and 3 medics. Surgeons perform damage control surgery on combat casualties within the "golden hour" of injury whenever possible. Casualties can then be packaged for medical evacuation to a higher level of care.