Lethal injuries among the members of the 4th Guardian Brigade of Croatian Army during the 1991-1995 war

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the causes of deaths among the members of the 4th Guardian Brigade (GB) of the Croatian Army during the war in Croatia from 1991 to 1995: the site of the lethal injuries, the type of wounds, and estimated the severity of injuries with lethal outcome according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale. METHODS: This was a retrospective study using the files and data obtained from 4th GB, Croatian Ministry of Defense, and Croatian Ministry of War Veterans. RESULTS: During the War in Croatia from 1991 to 1995, 182 members of 4th GB were killed. One hundred fifteen (63.2%) suffered lethal injuries caused by shell fragments, 47 (25.8%) soldiers had gunshot wounds, and 20 ( 11.0%) died in traffic accidents. Mean Abbreviated Injury Scale for killed soldiers was 7.61 +/- 1.27. CONCLUSION: During the war in Croatia, the leading causes of death were mines and explosions, and, in a minor proportion, gunshot wounds.