Vol. 25
No. 10
www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/
March 14, 2013
Eye Docs Teach Combat Trauma Management By Sharon Renee Taylor WRNMMC Journal staff writer Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) ophthalmologists Army Col. Raymond I. Cho and Maj. Marcus Colyer presented health care professionals with an overview of combat eye trauma as part of the nine-day trauma symposium lecture series held at the medical center last month. Both shared their expertise and insight to help providers treat patients with either combat or civilian-related eye injuries. Trauma to the eye and its associated structures account for a significant number of combat-related injuries, according to the book “Combat Casualty Care: Lessons Learned from OEF and OIF,” published by U.S. Army Photo the Department of the Army, Office A Soldier wears protective eyewear, which prevented injury from of Surgeon General in 2012. shrapnel. Despite widespread implementation of combat eye protecCho, the director of oculoplastic tion, trauma to the eye and its associated structures account for a and orbital surgery at WRNMMC, significant number of combat-related injuries, according to a book on deployed in support of Operation combat casualty care published by the Army in 2012. Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to 2006,
and contributed to “Lessons Learned from OEF and OIF.” He explained incidence of combat ocular trauma has shown a steady rise in frequency over the last century of warfare. Ocular trauma accounted for less than 1 percent of total battle injuries in the Civil War, and increased incrementally through World Wars I and II. The rate of combat ocular trauma more than doubled by the Korean War, and rose steadily to reach 13 percent by Operation Desert Storm. “In recent conflicts, combat ocular trauma stabilized in the 10 to 15 percent range. A lot of that may be due to eye protection which has been widely implemented,” Cho said. “This is a significant percentage of potentially debilitating injuries.” He shared statistics for traumatic eye injury in the civilian population. “A large percentage (31 percent) of these is due to blunt objects,” said Cho, who explained only a very small percentage is due to gun shots or explosions. “In combat situations,
See EYE page 10
Canines Help Warriors Rehab With ‘Doga’ By David A. Dickinson WRNMMC Journal staff writer
In the search of new ways to help wounded warriors, some health care providers have reached back to the ancient art of yoga. Andrea Lucie, a recreational therapist and yoga instructor at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, is one such provider who works with wounded warriors using traditional therapy. Now, she has added “Doga,” a form of yoga incorporating canines, to her therapy modalities. Service dogs are known to help with anxiety under many circumstances, and their assistance is no different with yoga, Lucie explained.
Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Floyd uses Doga, working with his service dog, Huff, to help in his rehabilitation. “I’ve done very limited yoga before. This [Doga] certainly has been a very unique bond for me.” The Golden Retriever seems to know exactly what humans around him need, Lucia explained about Huff. “He’s very intuitive and knows when you need him. He will impose his presence by coming up to you and putting his paw in your lap.” Lucie said she has observed Doga comes naturally to certain dogs. If she sees a patient needs to work on arm strength, she will place the canine in a position in which the patient will have to reach for the dog. “You are accomplishing the pose and the stretching,” the therapist
See CANINE page 10
Photo by Andrea Lucie
Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Floyd uses “Doga,” working with his service dog, Huff, to help in his rehabilitation.