Program Summary
GOLDen hour extended EVACuation (GOLDEVAC) aims to test whether it is possible to manage a complex polytrauma patient, starting near the point of injury and continuing throughout the evacuation process, via a single intravascular cannula that can be placed by a field medic. Specifically, GOLDEVAC will answer a critical question regarding this care: whether it is possible to resuscitate and oxygenate a patient via a single interface, for extended periods, without the thrombotic complications associated with current extracorporeal oxygenation methods/devices. If successful, GOLDEVAC will yield a single intravascular device and gas exchange (i.e. oxygenation) strategy to address a wide range of life-threatening injuries and buy more time to accomplish medical evacuation. In this way, GOLDEVAC could provide a medical force multiplier that could enhance the Department of Defense’s (DOD) ability to successfully care for and then evacuate many more wounded service members, even during large-scale conflict.