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Ethical Considerations in Embedding a Surgeon in a Military or Civilian Tactical Team

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2012

Lewis J. Kaplan ,
Mark D. Siegel ,
Alexander L. Eastman ,
Lisa M. Flynn ,
Stanley H. Rosenbaum ,
David C. Cone ,
David P. Blake  and
Jonathan Mulhern
Lewis J. Kaplan*
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut USA and North Haven/North Branford Police Departments, Special Weapons and Tactics Team, North Haven/North Branford, Connecticut USA
Mark D. Siegel
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut USA
Alexander L. Eastman
Affiliation:
The University of Texas Southwestern School Medical Center, Department of Surgery and The Dallas Police Department, Dallas, Texas USA
Lisa M. Flynn
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan USA
Stanley H. Rosenbaum
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut USA
David C. Cone
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut USA
David P. Blake
Affiliation:
United States Air Force, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio USA
Jonathan Mulhern
Affiliation:
North Haven Police Department, North Haven, Connecticut USA
*
Correspondence: Lewis J. Kaplan, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP Department of Surgery Section of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Surgical Emergencies Yale University School of Medicine 330 Cedar Street, BB-310 New Haven, CT 06520 USA E-mail Lewis.Kaplan@yale.edu
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Abstract

Tactical emergency medical services (TEMS) bring immediate medical support to the inner perimeter of special weapons and tactics team activations. While initially envisioned as a role for an individual dually trained as a police officer and paramedic, TEMS is increasingly undertaken by physicians and paramedics who are not police officers. This report explores the ethical underpinnings of embedding a surgeon within a military or civilian tactical team with regard to identity, ethically acceptable actions, triage, responsibility set, training, certification, and potential future refinements of the role of the tactical police surgeon.

KaplanLJ, SiegelMD, EastmanAL, FlynnLM, RosenbaumSH, ConeDC, BlakeDP, MulhernJ. Ethical Considerations in Embedding a Surgeon in a Military or Civilian Tactical Team. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(6):1-6.

Keywords

emergency medical servicestactical medicinetactical emergency medical services
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , December 2012 , pp. 583 - 588
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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