Patterns of Injury in a Gaza War Hospital

Abstract

This study describes the patterns of injury observed in a Gaza war hospital, focusing on 110 consecutive patients. Of these, two had conditions unrelated to trauma, so the analysis was of the remaining 108 casualties. No military personnel were seen. The data reveal clear trends, including a high prevalence of explosive injuries (86.36%), a low prevalence of gunshot wounds (8.18%), a notable proportion of female (34.55%) and child (23.64%) casualties, and the occurrence of multiple injuries (1.73 injuries/patient) because of the use of high explosive. There were 187 injuries identified including 128 fractures. Of these fractures, 64.84% were of the lower limb and 28.91% of the upper limb. Of the 128 fractures, 79 (61.72%) were clinically and/or radiologically infected. The most frequently infected fracture was the compound tibial and fibular fracture, which showed an infection rate of 92.86%. These findings highlight the unique and tragic nature of the Gaza conflict, the increasing injuries to civilians, including women and children, and the long-term healthcare that will be needed.