Initial treatment of war casualties in a field hospital

The initial approach and resuscitation of war victims in a field hospital at the Thai-Cambodian border are discussed. The typical injuries caused by high velocity missiles are described. Simple guidelines for the triage and proper management of the different injuries form the basis for the efficient care of war victims.     

Plastic surgery procedures in the treatment of mediastinitis in adult

Closed vacuum drainage is becoming the standard technique in most early postoperative mediastinitis, open wound treatment being only necessary in case of failure of the previous technique or in high grade mediastinitis. The reconstruction technique to be chosen depends on both resulting wound presentation after debridement and thorax morphology. Mediastinal dead space obliteration is a "sine qua non" for success often requiring multiple flap transposition. Since 1983, reconstructive procedures were carried out in 205 patients, of them 95 had bilateral pectoralis major turn-over transposition flaps on internal pedicules, following internal mammary artery coronary revascularisation in 45. Trapezius and latissimus dorsi were the next most used flaps. Transposition of the omentum although especially well suited for torpid wounds was to often precluded by bad abdominal risk factors. Conservative closed drainage salvaged by reconstructive procedures when necessary has greatly improved both survival and functional outcome of these patients.     

Plastic surgery using cutaneo-fascial flaps in the treatment of burns

Results of 67 plasties with fasciocutaneous flaps in 59 patients operated upon for burns and their sequellae are described. The correlation of length and width of the flaps was from 1.5:1 and 3:1. Good results were obtained in 90% of the patients. Causes of unfavorable outcomes are analyzed. The method is recommended for the introduction into practice of treatment of burns and their sequellae.     

Triage of mass casualties in war conditions: realities and lessons learned

Purpose

The authors made a retrospective analysis of three triage situations of war wounded in Chad and Rwanda in which mass casualties overwhelmed available medical facilities.

Methods

The triage classification is based on the waiting period for surgery. The categories are: extreme, first, second and third emergencies, expectant, walking wounded.

Results

In Chad, 23 wounded adults were received in 24 hours, and 19 were operated up on within 48 hours. In Rwanda 1, 94 wounded were received in two hours, of whom 68 were operated upon, 23 on the first day. In Rwanda 2, 59 wounded were received in 12 hours, treatment of extreme and first emergencies required 48 hours, while second and third emergencies were treated during the three following days.

Conclusions

These episodes were very different when considering the setting, the number of casualties, the type of wounds, the logistical and medical difficulties. The authors report the difficulties faced and the lessons learned. “Il faut toujours commencer par le plus douloureusement blessé sans avoir égard aux rangs et aux distinctions.” You must always begin with those who are most seriously wounded without regard to rank or other distinction. Baron Larrey (1766–1842), surgeon to Napoléon’s Imperial Guard [1]      

Expectant management in delayed presentation of war casualties with penetrating abdominal trauma

IntroductionWhile the management of acute civilian abdominal injuries is well established, The literature regarding the management of battle-related abdominal injuries presented in a delayed fashion is scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety of non-operative management approach in delayed evacuation of battle-related abdominal injuries.MethodsClinical records of thirty-seven hemodynamically normal patients with battle related injuries and Computed Tomography (CT) findings of penetrating abdominal trauma were retrospectively studied.ResultsAll 37 patients suffered penetrating abdominal injuries during the civil war in Syria. In this complex scenario, the casualties presented after a minimum 12-hour delay to our hospital. All patients had abnormal abdominal CT scans with no clinical peritoneal signs. Twenty-one [of the 37] patients exhibited 29 hard signs on CT scan. Of these, 17 patients were treated non-operatively and 4 underwent exploratory laparotomy (of which 2 were non-therapeutic). Sixteen patients exhibited a total of 75 soft signs on CT scan; 15 were treated non-operatively and one underwent non-therapeutic laparotomy. No complications were recorded in either the operative or non-operative groups. In total, 32 patients (86%) were treated non-operatively. Five patients (14%) underwent exploratory laparotomy (3 of which were non-therapeutic). Length of stay was dependent on the unique requirements of each individual patient as determined by the state department for returning across the border.ConclusionWe propose that in battle related casualties, acute survivable penetrating abdominal trauma may be safely treated non-operatively in selected patients who are hemodynamically normal and in whom there is an absence of abdominal pain or tenderness on repeated clinical assessment.     

Missed injuries in casualties from the Iraqi-Iranian war: a study of 35 cases

Thirty-six injuries were missed in 35 casualties admitted to Basrah University Teaching Hospital from the Iraqi-Iranian war. The errors were made particularly in patients with severe multiple injuries. The incidence of missed injuries and the reasons for the diagnostic failures are discussed. The injuries that were overlooked mostly involved the peripheral nerves, and the factors leading to inadequate initial assessment were poor clinical routine, failure to interpret correctly the physical signs and poor use of X-ray facilities. Casualties with head injury, and those who presented with traumatic amputations, need particular care. Such patients are costly both in staff time and in investigations.     

头皮复发性隆突性皮肤纤维肉瘤的外科治疗

目的 探讨头皮复发性隆突性皮肤纤维肉瘤（dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans,DFSP）的外科治疗方法和效果.方法 对近3年收治的7例头皮复发性DFSP患者行回顾性分析.肿瘤术中先行活检做冰冻切片病理检查,确认为阳性病例后行距肿瘤边缘≥3 cm的扩大切除术,基底深部的颅骨组织如亦被侵及,一并做颅骨外板清除或全层颅骨切除.切除标本再次行术中冰冻切片病理检查,证实切缘和基底肿瘤阴性后,继发创面行皮瓣/筋膜组织瓣转移修复.肿瘤标本于术后行HE常规染色和免疫组织化学等病理检查.结果 7例肿瘤标本,术中冰冻切片病理检查和术后病理检查均证实为DFSP复发.7例均行≥3 cm的扩大切除,同时做颅骨切除,其中5例行颅骨外板清除,另2例做颅骨全层切除.术中冰冻切片病理和术后病理报告均证实切缘干净,免疫组织化学病理诊断显示肿瘤组织Ki-67均为阳性,CD34部分阳性.术后随访15～41个月,均未见肿瘤局部复发和远位转移.结论 扩大切除及彻底清除被肿瘤侵及的颅骨是头皮复发性DFSP有效的治疗方法,能减少术后复发;皮瓣转移技术的应用有助于肿瘤完全切除后的创面妥善修复.     

Plastic surgery in the press

The media play a vital role in public education. The predominant image they portray of plastic and reconstructive surgery is that of cosmetic surgery, whilst the specialty's true scope is often misrepresented. The aim was to evaluate portrayal of plastic surgery in the national newspapers. LexisNexis Professional search engine was used to retrieve articles from all UK newspapers published in 2006 that contained the term 'plastic surgery' and each article was analysed. Of 1191 articles, 89% used the term 'plastic surgery' in the context of cosmetic surgery and only 10% referred to reconstructive work. There were 197 feature articles on cosmetic surgery and 52% of them included a quote from the medical profession. If the quoted doctor was on the UK General Medical Council (GMC) specialist register for plastic surgery, it was significantly more likely that a potential problem or complication associated with cosmetic surgery would be mentioned (p= 0.015). The vast majority of newspaper articles refer only to the cosmetic component of plastic surgery. When quoted, doctors on the GMC specialist register for plastic surgery provide a more balanced view of cosmetic surgery. Further initiative is needed to portray the full scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery to the general public.