Military medicine
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During the current conflicts, over 950 soldiers have sustained a combat-related amputation. The majority of these are acute, but an unknown number are performed months to years after the initial injury. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of late amputations in our combat wounded. ⋯ Fifty-three (15.2%) amputees had a late amputation (range = 12 wk-5.5 yr). While the majority of combat-related amputations occur acutely, more than 15% occur late. This study demonstrates that further research is needed to identify predictive factors and outcomes of the late amputation.
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Since the beginning of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, multidrug-resistant bacteria have been noted to be infecting and colonizing combat casualties. Studies suggest the primary source of these bacteria is nosocomial transmission. A focus area for improvement has been to enhance infection control (IC) at hospitals in the combat theater. ⋯ A pre- and post-course test showed an average 21% improvement in knowledge. A follow-up questionnaire provided to those students who deployed found the course had enhanced performance of their IC duties. We describe the deployment-unique training developed to provide basic IC, emphasizing the unique challenges found in the combat setting.