Medicinski vjesnik, Vol. 29 No. (1-2), 1997.
Professional paper
Mortality due to head and neck war wounds encountered in Slavonski Brod hospital during the 1991 - 1992 war in Croatia
Drago Prgomet
Davorin Đanić
Damir Miličić
Dinko Puntarić
Silva Soldo-Butković
Josip Jelić
Krunoslav Jakovina
Dinko Leović
Abstract
From July 1, 1991 to January 1, 1993 a total of 7,720 patients (soldiers and civilians) with war wounds were treated at “Dr Josip Benčević” General Hospital in Slavonski Brod, Croatia. Treatment was provided to 7,043 patients, whereas 677 (8.8%) killed in action (KIA) were examined at the Forensic Department. There were 1,456 (18.9%) patients, 1,176 soldiers and 280 civilians, with war wounds to head and neck. Mortality rate was significantly greater in patients with head and neck war wounds (N=271; 40.0%) than in those with war injuries to thorax (163; 24.1%) and abdomen (62; 9.2%; pcO.Ol for both). During the treatment, 188 patients (2.4%) died of wounds (DOW). The DOW mortality was 5.2% (61/1,185), 4.0% (41/1,026) and 2.9% (25/867) for war wounds of the head and neck, thorax and abdomen, respectively. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate between head and neck and thorax war wounds; however, the former exceeded the mortality rate recorded for abdomen war wounds (p>0.05). No significant differences were observed between soldiers and civilians with head and neck injuries, either in KIA (205/1,176 or 17.4% vs. 66/280 or 23.5% respectively) or DOW group (51/971 or 5.3% vs. 10/214 or 4.7%, respectively). According to the mechanism of head and neck wounding, there were 1,046/1,456 (71.9%) explosive, 226 (15.5%) gunshot, and 184 (12.6%) other wounds. Lethal outcome was significantly more common in gunshot than in explosive wounds (79/226 or 35.0% vs. 243/1,046 or 23.2%; pcO.Ol). The proportion of head and neck injuries did not differ significantly from literature reports on recent conventional wars. The site of wounding, i.e. at the battlefield or elsewhere, had no impact on the prognosis in war wounds to the head and neck. Gunshot head and neck injuries showed a significantly higher mortality rate.
Keywords
General Hospital Slavonski Brod; head; neck; iniuries
Hrčak ID:
192423
URI
Publication date:
1.12.1997.
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