STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF

File: 110596_sep96_decls2_0041.txt
Page: 0041
Total Pages: 48

Subject: STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF        

Unit: VAR. BUMED  

Parent Organization: BUMED       

Box ID: BX303818

Folder Title: USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992                                                  

Document Number:          4

Folder SEQ  #:         13










             though the senior physicians repeatedly explained that burns

             of such severity were inevitably fatal.

                  Several of the crew members who had attended the

             critical incident stress debriefing seminar co-facillitated

             informal debriefing sessions for the ICU staff. Although

             people were reluctant to speak at first, they slowly

             revealed their sadness, anger, feelings of helplessness, and

             their fear that the Iwo Jima casualties were a harbinger of

             things to come. People felt unprepared for the horror of

             watching helplessly as young men died. The ICU staff

             debated whether to redecorate the unit as a haunted house

             and proceed with the Halloween party. After much
             discussion, the staff reached the conclusion that the party

             would go on. That evening the ICU became a fake house of

             horrors, and the crew relaxed. It was a most unusual

             memorial.

                 Several weeks later, eight soldiers were brought to the

             Comfort nearly comatose after they had accidently ingested

             methanol. The medical staff responded immediately,

             providing superior care. All of the patients recovered

             without any long term sequalae. This successful experience

             restored the confidence of the medical unit.











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Document 48 f:/Week-39/BX303818/USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992/stress and coping with trauma of war in the pers:1104960910243
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-39
Box ID = BX303818
Unit = VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization = BUMED
Folder Title = USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992
Folder Seq # = 13
Subject = STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERS
Document Seq # = 4
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 04-NOV-1996