i. As with all procedures, the time required for record-keeping rises markedly at MOPP Level 3 or Level 4. Contaminated paperwork cannot be evacuated with the patient. Transcribe essential information onto uncontaminated documents for evacuation with the patient. A record of patient exposure time to a contaminated area is prepared to assess the cumulative risk to the patient.
4-8. Conventional Operations
For conventional operations of hospitals in a field environment see FM 4-02.10, FM 8-10-14, and FM 8-10-15.
[CHAPTER 5]
OTHER HEALTH SERVICE SUPPORT
Section I. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE SERVICES
5-1. General
On the integrated battlefield, PVNTMED services will be in greater demand than at any other time, especially under BW conditions. Preventive medicine personnel will be called upon to assist the commander in determining the health hazards associated with nuclear fallout; the safety of drinking water in an NBC environment; as well as determining when to use prophylaxis, pretreatments, immunizations, and other PVNTMED measures (PMM) associated with NBC warfare. Preventive medicine personnel must be aware of the medical threat in the AO. They must continually update their medical surveillance activities to identify disease trends (endemic and epidemic), potential disease vectors, and the susceptibility of troops to these diseases. Under NBC conditions, diseases may manifest that exist in the area, but were not being transmitted to personnel. However, due to the reduced health status of personnel from exposures to or from stress-related NBC conditions, the troops begin to suffer their effects. The appearance of diseases or arthropods not known to exist in the AO are indicators that BW agents have been used. For details on PVNTMED operations, see FM 4-02.17.