Team Travis trains to save lives

Maj. (Dr.) Alaric LeBaron, 60th Medical Surgical Operations Squadron, and Capt. Cindy Bond, 60th Inpatient Squadron critical care nurse, assist in unloading a Standard Mannequin “patient” from a KC-135 Stratotanker July 13. Members of the Critical Care Air Transport Team participated in the practice flight to get extra practice transporting critical care patients. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kristen Rohrer)

Team Travis trains to save lives

Maj. (Dr.) Alaric LeBaron, 60th Medical Surgical Operations Squadron, prepares to insert a chest tube into a standard mannequin “patient” during a practice flight July 13. Members of the Critical Care Air Transport Team used the flight to get extra training with the transport of critical care patients. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kristen Rohrer)

Team Travis trains to save lives

Members of the Critical Care Air Transport Team prepare to secure a standard mannequin after the “patient” was loaded onto a KC-135 Stratotanker July 13. Members of the Critical Care Air Transport Team used the flight to get extra training with the transport of critical care patients. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kristen Rohrer)

Team Travis trains to save lives

Published July 20, 2007
By Airman 1st Class Kristen Rohrer
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- "One, two, three ... down!"

Four members of the 60th Medical Group Critical Care Air Transport Team prepare to lower, secure and stabilize a critically injured patient inside a KC-135 Stratotanker.

This was the first training exercise of its kind that the CCATT participated in at Travis, and was an opportunity for them to get lifesaving practice preparing patients to travel to their destination.

The CCATT is responsible for the airborne transport of critically ill patients. The first CCATT's were formed in 1992 and became fully operational in 1994. CCATT's are able to transport injured troops out of theater to receive the care they need within 24 hours, rather than the two to three weeks it took before their existence.

During the exercise, members of the 10-team CCATT platform at the 60th MDG were able to participate. Each team consists of a physician, a critical care nurse and a respiratory therapist.

"There is a difference in how you would manage a critically ill patient on the ground in a controlled environment versus in the air at thousands of feet." said Capt. Cindy Bond, assistant CCATT coordinator. "Altitude can change a patient's condition in a subtle way, for example, oxygen requirements exceed that of what is required in a hospital on the ground. Changes in blood counts are common due to the altitude changes making stability issues more of a concern than normal."

During the training, the CCATT was able to attend a pre-exercise briefing with the crew, assist with loading patients and equipment, run several medical scenarios in the plane and once it was finished, able to off-load and transport the patients back to a drop off point, explained Captain Bond.

"This training will benefit the team and give them an opportunity to be in a realistic environment and experience what it is really like," said Maj. Cheryl Grotsky, 60th IPTS critical care nurse.

The team practiced different medical scenarios they may encounter while at deployed locations. Each member was evaluated on how they treated the patients in the aeromedical evacuation environment.

"This type of training will provide the CCATT members with a better understanding of the role of CCATT in deployed locations. Flight times in the area of responsibility can vary anywhere from two to three hours to six to 12 hours, so the training gets the members thinking ahead of what could possibly go wrong in the air and how they would handle such situations," said Captain Bond. "All of us in CCATT take a great deal of pride in the role we play in saving the lives of all those involved in the conflict."