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Art imitates Life - Videogame First Aid

Gunnar

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Man Imitates America's Army, Saves Lives

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/01/americas-army-t.html

By Earnest Cavalli January 18, 2008

A North Carolina man who saw an SUV flip and roll on a highway last November was able to provide medical aid to the victims with skills he learned from the America's Army, say the videogame's makers.

Paxton Galvanek pulled one of the passengers out of the smoking car, then found another bleeding heavily from his hand where his fingers had been lost during the crash.

"I used a towel as a dressing and asked the man to hold the towel on his wound and to raise his hand above his head to lessen the blood flow which allowed me to evaluate his other injuries which included a cut on his head," Galvanek said in a letter to the America's Army design team.

Galvanek said he learned about controlling bleeding from playing section two of the "medic" class training in America's Army, a game developed by the Army as a recruitment tool.

"I have received no prior medical training and can honestly say that because of the training and presentations within America's Army, I was able to help and possibly save the injured men," Galvanek said.

The press release mentions that this is the second time that skills developed from playing America's Army have been used to give people medical care in dire situations, but doesn't provide any details on the first incident.

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While direct pressure and elevation aren't exactly rocket science, it's nice when video games can actually provide useful, factual information.  How's that for a *realistic* game?

 
There was also a story about some kids and his sister who was approached by a angry moose I think it was. He told the press that he played World of Warcraft and did what the hunter class does in that game - feigned death.

Pretty funny but I think games are pretty realistic in some ways. With all the news about kids killing others and how video games promote violence and cause it, it's good to see news like this :)
 
Gunnar said:
Galvanek said he learned about controlling bleeding from playing section two of the "medic" class training in America's Army, a game developed by the Army as a recruitment tool.

Not to lessen the credit this guy deserves, but it would seem to me that although this game is not intended to teach first aid, it may assess your current level.
 
Well I think this is a great peice of positive press for the video game industry, and should put people like Jack Thompson in there place for a little bit.
 
Yeah, there aren't likely many fans for those like Jack Thompson and his ilk in here.  It's good to see that video games can be seen as having a positive effect rather than the alarmist and misinformed motions of people who call video games "Murder Simulation Machines".  This will likely be ignored by those who have such an agenda. :-\
 
Delicron said:
Yeah, there aren't likely many fans for those like Jack Thompson and his ilk in here.  It's good to see that video games can be seen as having a positive effect rather than the alarmist and misinformed motions of people who call video games "Murder Simulation Machines".  This will likely be ignored by those who have such an agenda. :-\

As much as that is true (and as unfortunate as that is), hopefully those that are on the opposite side than Mr. Thompson will catch this and use it to counter his [IMHO ridiculous] arguments.
 
I've played America's Army and you actually have to sit through several first aid lesson's if you want to be a medic in that game. It is about the equivalent of a power point presentation. It is not a replacement for actual training, but I can see how it would help someone out.
 
sounds too much like publicity story to me...
 
Yes it does, but it is a free game. It was designed and created by the U.S. Army as a recruitment tool.
 
About the only thing realistic when it comes to first aid in that game is the lessons. You also take a multiple choice test at the end of the power point and then if you pass you get to take the next class. The final class I believe is where they show you how to use it in the game (basically they show you how to treat people by walking up to them and pressing "E") where you need to treat them in order of priority.

The game itself though has a lot of bad hype around it because many people believe that it tries to send information to the US Army, and that it has subliminal messaging to make people want to join. The army admits that it is a recruitment tool but it doesnt go to such means.
 
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