The Dynamics of Casualty Rate Estimation, Medical Resource Allocation, and Disease and Injury Surveillance,

Abstract : Medical resource planning is an integral component of any combat operation. Determination of the needed medical personnel and supplies requires projections of the anticipated disease incidence and battle casualties. Rates of casualties and disease are then input to algorithms that calculate the required supplies and personnel for an operation. The Naval Health Research Center has computed disease and casualty rates for a number of operational scenarios and provided these rates to medical planners. Medical surveillance during an operation such as Desert Shield/Desert Storm is essential to both on-line requirements programming and resource projections for future scenarios.