Prolonged Field Care Podcast

Andrew Yenser, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and educator in facial trauma and regional anesthesia, explains practical facial nerve and dental block techniques for trauma care. He covers infraorbital and mandibular approaches, lidocaine versus long-acting agents, ring blocks for ears and nose, and the value of cross-training and multimodal pain strategies.

Steve Schauer, active duty U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and critical care fellow, leads a multi-center study on calcium in trauma. They discuss how trauma and prehospital care affect calcium, challenges of trauma research and data collection, differences between military and civilian injuries, timing and formulations for calcium administration, and priorities in resuscitation like blood and TXA.

A frank look at how medic training has changed and where it still falls short. They highlight common training failures like IVs, airway timing, and medication mistakes. You hear how standards and grading were created, instructor selection and train-up processes, and why first-run failure rates are so high but improve with practice.

A fast-paced look at real-world analgesia and sedation pitfalls. They cover common drug selection and dosing mistakes, ketamine’s proper uses and limitations, and why “having a drug” is not a plan. Practical lessons include monitoring needs, airway rescue readiness, measurable pain goals, and avoiding trendy mixed-syringe shortcuts. Clinical experience and clear handovers are stressed throughout.

Borja Langdana, a maxillofacial surgeon with international experience in emergency dentistry and facial trauma care. He talks about why jaw wiring is a crucial, teachable skill in austere settings. They cover modern penetrating facial injury patterns from drones and shrapnel. Practical techniques discussed include hemorrhage control, Foley and balloon packing, airway urgency and field-friendly jaw stabilization like MiniTies.

Dr. Lee Cancio, surgeon and director of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center, shares frontline expertise on white phosphorus burns. He discusses how WP keeps burning until removed, the need for continuous water immersion and particle removal, risks of rapid hypocalcemia and EKG changes, surgical debridement and escharotomy, and practical field improvisations for monitoring and evacuation.

Emily Johnston, a cold‑weather medicine clinician who helped write Arctic trauma guidelines, walks through delivering care in extreme cold. She highlights hypothermia and frostbite threats. Short talks cover airway and hemorrhage challenges, cutting insulation strategically, nutrition for rescuers and patients, and new frostbite treatments like iloprost.

Dr. DeMello, a British military medical officer and burns specialist with over 40 years in burn care. He talks about practical pre-hospital burn management and keeping trauma priorities clear. Discussion covers realistic TBSA estimation, pragmatic fluid strategies, airway timing and nebulized epinephrine, analgesia choices like ketamine, escharotomy planning, rapid cooling while avoiding hypothermia, and common mistakes to avoid.

Jeremy Pamplin, critical care–trained physician and retired Army colonel now managing DARPA medical tech programs. He discusses the DARPA Triage Challenge, using robotics and AI to find and prioritize casualties. Conversations cover human-machine teaming, sensor-driven physiology assessment, training to build trust, and the push to compress life-saving capabilities forward in chaotic mass-casualty settings.

Frank Stadler, founder of MadeMag Labs with a PhD in maggot therapy supply chains, and Jonathan Liu, a 20-year Special Forces medic, discuss maggot-based wound care. They explore historical resurgence, how maggots debride and disinfect, using them in burns and austere settings, species selection and local sourcing, sterilization options, application methods, and scaling training and supply.