Martian Emergency Medical Crises Management
Marsh Cuttino, MD
Virginia Commonwealth University
Department of Emergency Medicine
Astronauts on a manned mission to the planet Mars will be isolated from the Earth by time as well as distance. There is about a 40-minute delay between a question from Mars being sent and the answer being received. Emergency medical problems must be handled in a prompt manner. Emergency Medicine and Trauma Surgery recognize that there is a "Golden Hour" in which treatment and patient stabilization must be performed to ensure patient survival. Delaying emergent medical treatment to this extent will often prove fatal. The most likely medical problems that require prompt treatment would best be handled by physicians trained in Emergency Medicine or Trauma Surgery. It has also been proposed that non-physician astronauts receive advanced training in handling medical emergencies. To simulate how training affects emergency medical crisis management three groups were utilized. The first group consisted of Emergency Medicine and Trauma Surgery Attendings. These individuals have completed all specialty training and are Board Certified by the national specialty boards. This is the highest level of medical training. The second group consisted of Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians. These are individuals who daily handle the initial care of all types of emergency problems. The final group consisted of third year medical students. These students have completed two years of classroom training, and are involved in the clinical aspect of their medical training. Three standardized emergencies deemed likely to occur during a manned mission to Mars were created and implemented using the Eagle patient simulator. This is a complex, sophisticated mannequin that very accurately represents human response to injury. All encounters were videotaped and graded on a standardized system such as is used for Advanced Trauma Life Support Training and Emergency Medicine oral examinations. It is suggested that physicians trained in Emergency Medicine or Trauma Surgery be included in the crew for a Mars expedition.