Letter to the editor regarding the joint statement from the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) regarding the clinical use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA)

At a time when the value of military-civilian coordination in trauma care practice, research and development is being emphasized,1 we are concerned by the recently published statement of the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACS-COT/ACEP) on the use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA).2 We are disconcerted that the work group did not include any representatives from the US military’s Joint Trauma System (JTS) and failed to cite the JTS’ REBOA clinical practice guideline (CPG).3 We are concerned that after overlooking the military perspective on the use of REBOA, the work group crafted language is too prescriptive and that could limit the military health system’s use of this life-saving technique in deployed settings