Understand the signs and symptoms of Anomalous Health Incidents and how theyrelate to emerging threats in the operational environment
2)
Appreciate the challenges of symptoms associated with trauma from weaponizedenergy from the perspective of the patient which will ensure full scope education
3)
Understand how the notification of the chain of command/fly away teams andpropagation of information to the appropriate sources ensures correct treatment andidentification of this emerging health threat
Beginning in 2016, the nation’s attention focused on the unusual health incidents reported byU.S. and other partner government personnel and their family members in Havana,Cuba. Affected individuals of what the U.S. government today calls Anomalous HealthIncidents (AHI), also sometimes referred to as “Havana syndrome,” report that these incidentsoften involve a combination of sudden head pressure, dizziness, slowed thinking, ear pain, anddisturbing sensory events. AHI-affected individuals may also experience chronic brain traumaand disability, among other long-term health concerns. In February 2022, the Secretary of Wardirected the establishment of the AHI Cross-Functional Team (AHI CFT), which is required bysection 910 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. The CFT’s missionis to lead the Department’s efforts related to identifying AHI causation, attribution, mitigation,identification, and treatment, and any other AHI-related issues. Based on ongoing Departmentof War (DoW) efforts led by the CFT, the scientific community is developing new understandingof AHI and the associated risk to the Joint Force and others. This presentation will focus on themedical facets of identification, comprehensive assessment including focused history,appropriate physical examination and diagnostic evaluation, as well as treatmentrecommendations related to AHI. We will outline how doctrine and training must be adapted toincorporate our understanding of this trauma in the appropriate notification to the chain ofcommand and our flyaway teams for response to events. We will also highlight the need forstandardized scope of practice and assessment. In addition, the presentation will focus oneducation of providers from the patient perspective with three cases presented directly by thepatient or a surrogate actor if the patient is unable to speak due to their injuries. These caseswill quickly capture the audience’s attention with the point of injury experience. The patientswill walk the audience through their daily lives as they build understanding of the associatedtrauma to ensure awareness of the immediate effects and the chronicity of the symptomology.