Accession Number:

ADA480269

Title:

Experience With Wound VAC and Delayed Primary Closure of Contaminated Soft Tissue Injuries in Iraq

Descriptive Note:

Journal article

Corporate Author:

WILFORD HALL USAF MEDICAL CENTER LACKLAND AFB TX

Personal Author(s):

• Leininger, Brian E.
• Rasmussen, Todd E.
• Smith, David L.
• Jenkins, Donald H.
• Coppola, Christopher

Report Date:

2006-11-01

Pagination or Media Count:

6.0

Abstract:

Wartime missile injuries are frequently high-energy wounds that devitalize and contaminate tissue, with high risk for infection and wound complications. Debridement, irrigation, and closure by secondary intention are fundamental principles for the management of these injuries. However, closure by secondary intention was impractical in Iraqi patients. Therefore, wounds were closed definitively before discharge in all Iraqi patients treated for such injures at our hospital. A novel wound management protocol was developed to facilitate this practice, and patient outcomes were tracked. This article describes that protocol and discusses the outcomes in a series of 88 wounds managed with it.

Descriptors:

• *TISSUES(BIOLOGY)
• *WOUNDS AND INJURIES
• *CONTAMINATION
• *INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• *SOFT TISSUES
• GUIDED MISSILES
• REPRINTS
• RISK
• IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
• EXCISION
• PATIENTS
• HIGH ENERGY
• MANAGEMENT
• HIGH RATE
• IRAQ

Subject Categories:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Medicine and Medical Research

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE