NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE ANNOUNCES OPENING OF LIFE SUPPORT FOR TRAUMA AND TRANSPORT (LSTAT) EXHIBIT    The LSTAT moves trauma care closer to the site of injury for improved diagnostics and therapeutics throughout the evacuation and treatment process. It is on display at the museum in Washington, D.C. WASHINGTON – The National Museum of Health and Medicine has announced the opening of its newest exhibition, the Life Support for Trauma and Transport (LSTAT), a portable Intensive Care Unit that can be mounted on a standard NATO stretcher. It allows the medic or corpsman to provide life support to critically ill or injured patients before and during transportation as well as in a field hospital setting. "This device represents a significant change in the care of the seriously wounded,” said Alan Hawk, manager of the museum’s historical collections. “We are excited to include this exhibit in the museum as part of our efforts to document how military medicine continues to transform modern healthcare." The LSTAT prototype was first developed and tested in 1998 by biomedical engineers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Northrop Grumman Corp., and provides ICU quality care in front-line hospitals and while in transit by helicopter. The LSTAT was first deployed in March 2000 with the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. In addition to its use in Kosovo, healthcare providers have also used the LSTAT in support of humanitarian operations in Bosnia and Cambodia as well as in current combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The device has saved lives by moving the technology of an ICU out of a fixed-base hospital and closer to the wounded soldier in the field. This is important because evacuation distances for patients have increased as a result of the rapid movement of the front line in mechanized warfare. The LSTAT’s 180-pound self-contained unit with standalone power source includes ICU technologies and an onboard integrated computer system to collect patient statistics. During the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991, critically wounded patients sometimes remained at Forward Surgical Team hospitals until specialized ambulance helicopters became available, delaying necessary medical care for the patient and depriving the hospital of a much needed bed. The LSTAT comprises of a standalone power system and onboard integrated computer that collects patient statistics for up to 72 hours, relieving the burden of record keeping and reducing the number of clinical specialists needed bedside and during transport. The LSTAT also includes the following devices in one self-contained 180-pound unit: compressor-powered ventilator to maintain breathing. 480-liter oxygen source. automatic external defibrillator to revive the heart. physiologic monitor to record vital signs. three-channel infusion pump to deliver antibiotics and nutrition. rapid infusion pump for intravenous fluid resuscitation. intermittent/continuous suction device to clear airways. point-of-care blood chemistry analyzer to measure acids, gases, salts and sugars in the blood. "The Life Support for Trauma and Transport (LSTAT) greatly enhances the Armed Service's ability to deliver high quality care to the most severely injured patients, even while on the move. It has been designed to include future improvements that will allow automated control of the life support functions based on the patient's physiological status,” said Frederick J. Pearce, Ph.D., chief of the Department of Resuscitative Medicine at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. “Having the LSTAT platform at the National Museum of Health and Medicine is a tremendous opportunity to show the public the kind of state-of-the-art innovations that are occurring within the Armed Services to support the medical needs of American soldiers, sailors and airmen." The original LSTAT concept was inspired by casualty cocoons described in Robert Heinlein’s 1957 science fiction book “Starship Troopers,” which was made into a movie in 1997 directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumerier. The original LSTAT concept was inspired by casualty cocoons described in Robert Heinlein’s 1957 science fiction book “Starship Troopers,” which was made into a movie in 1997 directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumerier. The LSTAT is currently on display in the museum in Washington, D.C. The museum is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. and Elder Street, NW, Washington, D.C. More information can be found on the web site at www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum and the telephone number is 202-782-2200. Admission and parking are free.