Review of military and civilian trauma registries: Does consensus matter?

Frostbite: a systematic review on freezing cold injuries in a military environment

BACKGROUND

Military practice or deployment in extreme conditions includes risks, dangers and rare disorders. One of the challenges is frostbite; however, current literature does not provide an overview of this condition in a military context. This review aims to map the incidence, risk factors and outcome of frostbite in military casualties in the armed forces.

METHODS

A systematic literature search on frostbite (freezing cold injuries) in military settings from 1995 to the present was performed. A critical appraisal of the included articles was conducted. Data on incidence, risk factors, treatment and outcome were extracted.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included in our systematic review. Most studies of frostbite in a military setting were published nearly half a century ago. Frostbite incidence has declined from 7% to around 1% in armed forces in arctic regions but could be as high as 20% in small-scale arctic manoeuvres. Overall and military-specific risk factors for contracting frostbite were identified.

CONCLUSION

During inevitable arctic manoeuvres, frostbite is a frequently diagnosed injury in service members. Postfreezing symptoms often persist after severe frostbite injury, which decreases employability within the service. Over time, military practice has changed considerably, and modern protective materials have been introduced; therefore, re-evaluation and future study in the military field are appropriate, preferably with other North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners.

Advanced bleeding control in combat casualty care: An international, expert-based Delphi consensus

BACKGROUND

Hemorrhage from truncal and junctional injuries is responsible for the vast majority of potentially survivable deaths in combat casualties, causing most of its fatalities in the prehospital arena. Optimizing the deployment of the advanced bleeding control modalities required for the management of these injuries is essential to improve the survival of severely injured casualties. This study aimed to establish consensus on the optimal use and implementation of advanced bleeding control modalities in combat casualty care.

METHODS

A Delphi method consisting of three rounds was used. An international expert panel of military physicians was selected by the researchers to complete the Delphi surveys. Consensus was reached if 70% or greater of respondents agreed and if 70% or greater responded.

RESULTS

Thirty-two experts from 10 different nations commenced the process and reached consensus on which bleeding control modalities should be part of the standard equipment, that these modalities should be available at all levels of care, that only trained physicians should be allowed to apply invasive bleeding control modalities, but all medical and nonmedical personnel should be allowed to apply noninvasive bleeding control modalities, and on the training requirements for providers. Consensus was also reached on the necessity of international registries and guidelines, and on certain indications and contraindications for resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in military environments. No consensus was reached on the role of a wound clamp in military settings and the indications for REBOA in patients with chest trauma, penetrating axillary injury or penetrating neck injury in combination with thoracoabdominal injuries.

CONCLUSION

Consensus was reached on the contents of a standard bleeding control toolbox, where it should be available, providers and training requirements, international registries and guidelines, and potential indications for REBOA in military environments.

Department of Defense Trauma Registry Infectious Disease Module Impact on Clinical Practice

BACKGROUND

The Joint Trauma System (JTS) is a DoD Center of Excellence for Military Health System trauma care delivery and the DoD's reference body for trauma care in accordance with National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. Through the JTS, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed and subsequently refined to standardize and improve combat casualty care. Data are amassed through a single, centralized DoD Trauma Registry to support process improvement measures with specialty modules established as the registry evolved. Herein, we review the implementation of the JTS DoD Trauma Registry specialty Infectious Disease Module and the development of infection-related CPGs and summarize published findings on the subsequent impact of the Infectious Disease Module on combat casualty care clinical practice and guidelines.

METHODS

The DoD Trauma Registry Infectious Disease Module was developed in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP) Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study (TIDOS). Infection-related information (e.g., syndromes, antibiotic management, and microbiology) were collected from military personnel wounded during deployment June 1, 2009 through December 31, 2014 and medevac'd to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany before transitioning to participating military hospitals in the USA.

RESULTS

To support process improvements and reduce variation in practice patterns, data collected through the Infectious Disease Module have been utilized in TIDOS analyses focused on assessing compliance with post-trauma antibiotic prophylaxis recommendations detailed in JTS CPGs. Analyses examined compliance over three time periods: 6 months, one-year, and 5 years. The five-year analysis demonstrated significantly improved adherence to recommendations following the dissemination of the 2011 JTS CPG, particularly with open fractures (34% compliance compared to 73% in 2013-2014). Due to conflicting recommendations regarding use of expanded Gram-negative coverage with open fractures, infectious outcomes among patients with open fractures who received cefazolin or expanded Gram-negative coverage (cefazolin plus fluoroquinolones and/or aminoglycosides) were also examined in a TIDOS analysis. The lack of a difference in the proportion of osteomyelitis (8% in both groups) and the significantly greater recovery of Gram-negative organisms resistant to aminoglycosides or fluoroquinolones among patients who received expanded Gram-negative coverage supported JTS recommendations regarding the use of cefazolin with open fractures. Following recognition of the outbreak of invasive fungal wound infections (IFIs) among blast casualties injured in Afghanistan, the ID Module was refined to capture data (e.g., fungal culture and histopathology findings, wound necrosis, and antifungal management) needed for the TIDOS team to lead the DoD outbreak investigation. These data captured through the Infectious Disease Module provided support for the development of a JTS CPG for the prevention and management of IFIs, which was later refined based on subsequent TIDOS IFI analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

To improve combat casualty care outcomes and mitigate high-consequence infections in future conflicts, particularly in the event of prolonged field care, expansion, refinement, and a mechanism for sustainability of the DoD Trauma Registry Infectious Disease Module is needed to include real-time surveillance of infectious disease trends and outcomes.

War trauma in Homer's Iliad: a trauma registry perspective

Purpose

Homer’s Iliad reports detailed descriptions of war traumas, with precise anatomical references, so that the Iliad can be considered the first trauma registry. We aimed to analyse the Iliad from the perspective of a modern trauma registry: that is, to find historical and local prognostic factors through the epidemiological study of the reported traumas.

Methods

Two different editions of Homer’s Iliad—one in English and one in Italian—were thoroughly studied and epidemiological data were statistically analysed.

Results

148 reports of human traumas were analysed. The majority of traumas (73.6%) involved Trojan warriors, with spears being the most frequent wounding agent (71%). Overall mortality was 84.5% and was higher in the Trojan field (90.8% vs 61.5%). Despite the high mortality, median New Injury Severity Score (NISS) was low, probably due to high prevalence of penetrating mono-systemic trauma. Median NISS was higher in the Trojan group. Compared to the Achaeans, the Trojans had more torso injuries, whereas Achaeans had more injuries to limbs and superficial tissues. However, in both fields, head and neck were more frequently injured.

Conclusions

Homer’s Iliad gives us an interesting insight into war traumas during the siege of Troy. The reported higher mortality within the Trojan army can be explained not only by poetic reasons but also by different military skills.

Dutch combat operation experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan: The conundrum of low surgical workload deployments

INTRODUCTION

The Combined Joined Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve is the military intervention of Iraq and Coalition Forces in the battle against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Al Assad Airbase (AAAB) is one of the key airbases. It contains a Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility, primarily to perform Damage Control Surgery in Coalition Forces, Iraqi National Security Forces and Local Nationals. We present a six month medical exposure in order to provide insight into the treatment of casualties and to optimize medical planning of combat operations and (pre-/post-) deployment training.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a cohort study of casualties that were admitted to the Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility AAAB from November 2017 to April 2018. Their mechanisms and types of injury are described and compared to those sustained in Uruzgan, Afghanistan between 2006-2010. Additionally, they are compared to the caseload in the Dutch civilian medical centers of the medical specialist team at AAAB.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in both mechanism and type of injury between Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces (p = 0.0001). Coalition Forces had 100% disease and non-battle injuries, where Iraqi Security Forces had 86% battle injuries and 14% non-battle casualties. The most common surgical procedures performed were debridement of wounds (38%), (exploratory) laparotomy (10%) and genital procedures (7%). The surgical caseload in Uruzgan, Afghanistan was significantly different in aspect and quantity, being 4.1 times higher. When compared to the workload at home all team members had at least a tenfold lower workload than in their civilian hospitals.

DISCUSSION

The deployed surgical teams were scarcely exposed to casualties at AAAB, Iraq. These low workload deployments could cause a decline in surgical skills. Military medical planning should be tailormade and should include adjusting length of stay, (pre-/post-)deployment refresher training and early consultation of military medical specialists. Future research should focus on optimizing this process by investigating fellowships in combat matching trauma centers, regional and international collaboration and refresher training possibilities to maintain the expertise of the acute military care provider.

[Approaches to pre-hospital bleeding management : Current overview on civilian emergency medicine]

Severe bleeding is a typical result of traumatic injuries. Hemorrhage is responsible for almost 50% of deaths within the first 6 h after trauma. Appropriate bleeding control and coagulation therapy depends on an integrated concept of local hemostasis by primary pressure with the hands, compression, and tourniquets accompanied by prevention of hypothermia, acidosis and hypocalcemia. Additionally, permissive hypotension is accepted for suitable patients and tranexamic acid should be administered early. Multiple publications prove that prehospital transfusion of blood products (e. g. red blood cells and plasma) and coagulation factors (e. g. fibrinogen) is feasible and safe, but only required for <5% of polytrauma patients in the civilian setting.

Bibliometric analysis of military trauma publications: 2000-2016

INTRODUCTION

Bibliometric tools can be used to identify the authors, topics and research institutions that have made the greatest impact in a field of medicine. The aim of this research was to analyse military trauma publications over the last 16 years of armed conflict in order to highlight the most important lessons that have translated into civilian practice and military doctrine as well as identify emerging areas of importance.

METHODS

A systematic search of research published between January 2000 and December 2016 was conducted using the Thompson Reuters Web of Science database. Both primary evidence and review publications were included. Results were categorised according to relevance and topic and the 30 most cited publications were reviewed in full. The h-index, impact factors, citation counts and citation analysis were used to evaluate results.

RESULTS

A plateau in the number of annual publications on military trauma was found, as was a shift away from publications on wound and mortality epidemiology to publications on traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurosurgery or blast injury to the head. Extensive collaboration networks exist between highly contributing authors and institutions, but less collaboration between authors from different countries. The USA produced the majority of recent publications, followed by the UK, Germany and Israel.

CONCLUSIONS

In recent years, the number of publications on TBI, neurosurgery or blast injury to the head has increased. It is likely that the lessons of recent conflicts will continue to influence civilian medical practice, particularly regarding the long-term effects of blast-related TBI.