Critical Care of Military Burn Casualties at Role 3 Facilities

Abstract

Burn casualties will inevitably occur in the military environment during both conflict and peacetime. The number and type of casualties will vary on the nature of warfare and the type of troops deployed. New preventative measures have decreased the number and severity of burns found on the battlefield however with new weapon systems casualties suffering from thermal injuries are still to be expected in modern warfare. Over the last 4 decades great advances have been made in the treatment of thermal injuries. These advances are reviewed here with emphasis on those that can be accomplished in the Role 3 facility by non-specialist clinicians. It is beyond the scope of this review to produce didactic treatment protocols but it is hoped that in the near future Clinical Guidelines for Operations will soon reflect these. Where advances have occurred that can not be mirrored in the field hospital early evacuation to specialist facilities back at Role 4 facilities should be a priority.

Safe burn excision prior to military repatriation: an achievable goal?

“…In more recent times, however, the incidence of burn injuries sustained by military personnel has decreased substantially. For example, the bombing of Hiroshima resulted in 57 ,700 burn injuries,11 whereas during the period between 2001–2007 and 2008–2013, the UK military suffered 134 (54 combat injuries) and 65 (19 combat injuries) burn injuries, respectively, excluding minor burns. The majority of combat-related burn injuries were caused by improvised explosive devices which have been the principal injury seen in Afghanistan 12.…”