Management of Gulf War casualties

Abstract

During the Gulf War 84 patients underwent surgery in the Jubail Armed Forces Hospital, Saudi Arabia. The median time to evacuate casualties to hospital was 8 h 40 min. Fragments caused 88 per cent of injuries; 11 per cent were caused by bullets. Multiple lesions were encountered in 70 per cent of patients. The extremities (76 per cent) were the most frequently injured site, the lower limbs more so than the upper. Soft tissue injuries prevailed (59 per cent).

Penetrating missile injuries during asymmetric warfare in the 2003 Gulf conflict

“…As a result, fewer torso injuries were seen in coalition personnel than in Iraqi soldiers and civilians (9 versus 25 per cent respectively). Data from recent similar conflicts suggest that many deaths result from wounds in areas not protected by body armour, such as the neck and groin9, 10. The proportion of head and neck wounds in this study is in keeping with previous series1.…”

Traumatic extremity amputation in a Nigerian setting: patterns and challenges of care

“…Lawnmower injuries causing extremity amputations are common in regions where lawnmowers are readily available [15,16]. Gunshots, landmines, fireworks and other forms of explosives used in war or terrorist attacks could cause amputation [5,6,18]. Road traffic accidents, occupational injuries and natural disasters are all possible causes of extremity amputation [2,12].…”

Wound Fragments from Cutaneous Sites of U.S. Military Personnel Deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom: Clinical Aspects and Pathologic Characterizations

“…The retained wound fragments removed from cutaneous sites in this series ranged from 2 to 13 mm, with the exception of a superficial microscopic particle that likely resulted from a gunshot wound. The proportion of wounded military personnel with fragment wounds treated at military hospitals varies from conflict to conflict and hospital to hospital, but it was reported to be more than 85% in two military hospitals during the 1990 to 1991 Persian Gulf War 3,4 . A high proportion of the wounds cited by these two reports were of the extremities 3,4 .…”

“…The proportion of wounded military personnel with fragment wounds treated at military hospitals varies from conflict to conflict and hospital to hospital, but it was reported to be more than 85% in two military hospitals during the 1990 to 1991 Persian Gulf War 3,4 . A high proportion of the wounds cited by these two reports were of the extremities 3,4 . A report from a British Field Hospital performing surgeries in Iraq in 2003 also noted a substantial proportion of battle injuries of the extremities in their surgical work load 5 .…”