Military medicine
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We reviewed a total of 2,525 snakebite patients in Bangkok. Of these, 1,415 were bitten by venomous snakes, 91 by neurotoxic snakes of genus Naja or Bungarus and 1,324 by snakes of family Viperidae or Crotalidae. Seventy-one percent of bites were on the lower extremity. ⋯ Care of a snakebite victim should consist of immobilization and bandaging of the bitten limb with elastic bandages during transport to the hospital, early surgical debridement of necrotic tissue, appropriate infusion of antivenin, aggressive respiratory support, management of shock and infection, and peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis. Incision of bite wounds, suctioning, application of ice, and tourniquets are of no proven value and may be dangerous. All snakebite victims in southeast Asia should survive if they receive early competent care.
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Evaluation of the psychological state of a group of 119 Croatian disabled war veterans who suffered grave traumatic war experiences during the war in Croatia (1991-1992). ⋯ The established change in the psychological profile of disabled Croatian war veterans was lower than expected. However, because of their great vulnerability, it is necessary to increase efforts to secure their complete psychosocial recovery.
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Patients who sustain gunshot injuries to the head and neck face heavy tissue damage and eventually life-threatening conditions. A very significant factor that determines the degree of injury is the course and extent of the missile track. ⋯ The missile entrance or exist wound may be out of sight in some injuries, and often it is difficult to predict the severity of the injury in the chaotic circumstances of the battlefield. We studied the wound ballistics in five soldiers who suffered penetrating cranial and cervical firearm injuries.