Prolonged Field Care Podcast

Prolonged Field Care Podcast: Calcium and Trauma

Oct 3, 2025
Steve Schauer, an active-duty U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and critical care fellow, sheds light on his research regarding calcium derangements in trauma patients. He discusses the significant effects of pre-hospital care on calcium levels and the complexities of correlating civilian and military trauma data. Schauer emphasizes the critical prioritization in trauma management, suggesting blood products and TXA should come before calcium administration. He also highlights the need for ongoing research to better understand calcium's role in trauma care.
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INSIGHT

Trauma Alone Alters Calcium Levels

  • Trauma itself can cause calcium derangements before any blood product is given.
  • Steve Schauer's trial measures arrival calcium to isolate trauma-induced changes from transfusion effects.
INSIGHT

Civilian vs Military Trauma Aren't Equivalent

  • Civilian and military trauma mechanisms overlap but differ in severity and explosives frequency.
  • Those differences limit how directly civilian data translate to deployed combat care.
ADVICE

Categorize Prehospital Blood Exposure

  • Separate patients who received prehospital whole blood from those who did not when analyzing arrival calcium.
  • Compare groups to quantify prehospital whole blood's effect on calcium.
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