The weapons of mass destruction-civil support team PA.

ABSTRACT: The weapons of mass destruction-civil support team (WMD-CST) physician associate/assistant (PA) is an autonomous PA who balances military and civilian roles to achieve mission success and support the safety of the US public. This article by multiple WMD-CST PAs across the nation describes the WMD-CST PA profession and how traditional PA roles continue to advance.

Combating Fentanyl: National Guard Physician Assistants on the Front Lines of America's War Against Synthetic Opioids.

There is a significant threat to global health security due to synthetic opioids, illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF), and nefarious uses of pharmaceutical based agents (PBA). Since 2014, increased distribution of synthetic opioids including IMF into the US through China, India, and Mexico has resulted in devastating consequences to the average street drug user. Additionally, clandestine lab operations for pill manufacturing and distribution have increased, along with unintentional drug overdoses due to drugs being laced with fentanyl or some other synthetic opioid derivative. Naloxone has been shown to be an effective and useful tool for reversing signs and symptoms of synthetic opioid overdose, though additional doses may be required depending on the analog. In addition to the risk of overdose in US civilians, other state actors have utilized fentanyl and its analogs as incapacitants resulting in significant numbers of casualties. The National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) have been on the front lines supporting federal law enforcement agencies with hazard identification and assessment. Physician Assistants (PA) are assigned to these units and provide the necessary skills and expertise to keep on scene personnel safe. This article aims to dispel some of the rumors and myths surrounding fentanyl in an effort to educate first receivers, first responders, and hospital providers. Lastly, this article provides a review of synthetic opioid production, overdose, hazards, treatment/countermeasures, decontamination for responders, and the potential use of synthetic opioids as WMDs.

National Guard Response to COVID-19: A Snapshot in Time during the Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Since March of 2020, thousands of National Guard service members have played a key role in the domestic response to COVID-19, ranging from medical support, health screening, decontamination, personal protective equipment (PPE) training, and more. As a result of these missions, there was a hypothesized potential increase in COVID-19 exposure risk. OBJECTIVES: Assess COVID-19 transmission rates and mortality rates in the US population compared to the National Guard. METHODS: Six months of retrospective data were assessed with analysis of a snapshot in time for pandemic data on 29 July 2020. Potential relationships between National Guard COVID-19 response personnel, cumulative US COVID-19 cases, National Guard COVID-19 cases, and National Guard COVID-19 fatalities were assessed. RESULTS: No evidence of correlations exist between the number of National Guard personnel supporting the COVID-19 response and the number of deaths in the National Guard due to COVID-19 (p=0.547), and the number of National Guard COVID-19 cases and the number of deaths in the National Guard due to COVID-19 (p=0.214). The number of COVID-19 cases in the US was positively correlated to the number of deaths in the US due to COVID-19 (rs=0.947, p is less than.001). CONCLUSIONS: Though much of the data could not be reported due to operational security (OPSEC) and capabilities, activities, limitations, and intentions (CALI) concerns, the data herein demonstrate National Guard service members are significantly less likely to suffer COVID-19 related mortality compared to US civilians. Since the National Guard adheres the same medical and physical fitness standards as set by their parent service (Army and Air Force), it follows overall levels of medical readiness and fitness should start with a higher baseline. Age, medical screening, PPE, and physical fitness requirements have likely contributed to this phenomenon. These results should empower National Guard service members to feel more confident in their roles as they continue to support the COVID-19 response efforts.