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Background: A gunshot wound to the colon is a frequent injury in armed conflicts. An example of a high-energy modern weapon is hollow-point bullets, which is associated with increased tissue damage and lethal outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate gunshot injuries to the colon in combat patients and to assess the difference in clinical features of patients with colon injuries by hollow-point versus shape-stable bullets., Patients and Methods: Analyses of clinical data were performed on 374 male soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine with gunshot abdominal wounds with injury to the colon in East Ukraine between 2014 and 2020. Out of 374 injured, 112 (29.9%) patients were diagnosed with penetrating gunshot bullet wounds: 69/112 (61.6%) were injured by shape-stable bullets, and the hollow-point bullets injured 43/112 (38.4%) patients., Results: More severe hemorrhagic shock stages were in patients injured by hollow-point bullets: shock stages III-IV was in 25 (58.1%) patients injured by the hollow-point bullets vs. 17 (24.6%) patients injured by shape-stable bullets (p = 0.0004). Left colon parts were more frequently injured as compared to the right colon side or transverse colon: 21 (48.8%) patients were injured by the hollow-point bullets (p < 0.0001), and 41 (59.4%) patients were injured by the shape-stable bullets (p = 0.032). A significant difference was identified for the frequent injury to the middle colon within the entire cohort (p = 0.023). Patients injured by the hollow-point bullets demonstrated a higher frequency of 3-5 areas of colon gunshot defects, which was detected in 18 (41.8%) patients injured by hollow-point bullets and none with shape-stable bullets injury (p = 0.0001). Colon Injury Scale (CIS) IV was detected in 7 (16.3%) patients injured by the hollow-point bullets as compared to 2 (2.9%) patients injured by shape-stable bullets (p = 0.011). Colostomy was performed in 14 (69%) patients injured by shape-stable bullets and in 12 (27.9%) patients injured by hollow-point bullets (p > 0.05). 15 (35%) patients died after injury by the hollow-point bullet, whereas 9 (13%) patients after damage by the shape-stable bullets (p = 0.0089)., Conclusions: All patients should be suspected to have an injury by bullet with expanding properties in case of penetrating abdominal injury (absent of outlet wound) and careful revision of the abdomen must be performed to identify possible multiorgan injury as well as multiple gunshot defects of the intestine., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

It was performed retrospective analysis of 463 cases of suppurative thoracic complications after injury (232) and closed thoracic trauma (231) for 20-year period. Incidence of purulent complications was 3.2% and 1.6% in case of injury and closed thoracic trauma respectively including pleural empyema in 1.5 and 1.3%, pulmonary abscess in 0.3 and 0.4%, mediastinitis in 0.35 and 0.12%, pericarditis in 1.5 and 0.26%, osteomyelitis in 0.4 and 0.18% respectively. Factors preceding suppurative complications in case of injuries and closed trauma have been considered as predictors. Multivariant regression analysis established significant risk factors of suppurative thoracic complications. Clotted hemothorax, mediastinal hemorrhage, heart injury, late appeal for medical assistance and mechanical ventilation over 5 days were identified irrespective of character of trauma. In case of thoracic injury there were damage of osteochondrous frame, hollow thoracic and abdominal organs, gunshot wound of lung, delirium and injuries severity over 20 scores according to ISS scale. Pulmonary bleeding, sternal fracture and Glasgow Coma Scale rate<12 scores were identified as risk factors in case of closed trauma.

The article analyzes the experience of treatment of bullet penetrating wounds of the thorax accompanied by shock in 131 armed forces personnel of internal army and officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Russia during contra-terrorist operations on the North Caucasus at the period from 2000 to 2011. The postoperative lethality was reduced from 22.7% to 10.8% due to usage of the strategy which was directed to decrease of surgical aggression in 65 patients.

35 patients, operated on the thoracic trauma (ISS - 9±3), had videothoracoscopy on the reason of the continued bleeding (n=6), clotted hemothorax (n=27) or pleura empyem (n=2). The best results were obtained in case of the clotted hemothorax thoracoscopic evacuation within 3 days after bleeding. Even the late use of videothoracoscopic procedures for the treatment of postoperative complications shortens the hospital stay in comparison with the traditional methods. The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is an accurate and safe method for the postoperative bleeding complications in hemodynamically stable patients.

320 gunshot wounds of the trunk in peacetime are analyzed. Wounds from hunting rifle (71.2%) dominated, penetration into pleural or abdominal cavity was revealed in 89.4% cases. Thoracoabdominal and combined wounds of the chest and abdomen reached 23.8%. Significant destruction of the soft tissues and bones, multiple damages of organs were seen often. Causes of infectious complications and lethal outcomes were analyzed. Improving of care quality has reduced lethality from 21.8 to 15.6%.

We prospectively analyzed our experience with operative videothoracoscopy (OVT) performed in a field military hospital in cases of penetrating firearms wounds of the thorax (PFAWT) sustained in Chechnya. From February to April 1996, we treated 206 wounded patients, of whom 37 (18.0%) had sustained chest injuries. PFAWT were present in 23 soldiers, accounting for 62.2% of all chest injuries. Twelve injuries were confined to the thorax, eight patients had associated injuries, and three soldiers had thoracoabdominal injuries. Nineteen patients had pleural drainage performed during medical evacuation. The thoracic injuries were right-sided (17), involved bullets or shell splinters (23); were through and through (16), represented solitary wounds (19), and were associated with internal organ injuries (21). Fifteen patients had indications for OVT when they were delivered from the battle-field 1.5 to 22 hours after injury. All patients manifested signs of hemorrhagic shock and hemodynamic instability. Indications for OVT were ongoing intrapleural bleeding (6), clotted hemothorax (6), or marked air leakage (3) preventing lung inflation with the OP-02 apparatus (field modification). OVT revealed 12 lung wounds, nine of which were multiple wounds, pleural bleeding in 6 patients, clotted hemothorax in 11 patients, and foreign bodies in 5 patients. Two patients underwent thoracotomy, one for suspicion of heart injury and the second because we could not adequately visualize and control bleeding revealed at OVT to be from the intercostal artery in the left costovertebral angle. Eight of 23 patients had no indication for operative videothoracoscopy and were managed with continued pleural aspiration and drug therapy. Wedge resection of the lung using an Endo-GIA-30 stapler was necessary in two patients because of parenchymal destruction and bleeding. Evacuation of clotted blood by fragmentation and aspiration was satisfactory in all cases. Satisfactory manual suturing of selected lung injuries was obtained largely with intracorporeal knot tying. The duration of the procedures ranged from 40 to 90 minutes. No morbidity nor mortality was encountered in patients undergoing OVT. Postoperative pain was minimized by using OVT placement of catheters in the chest wall soft tissue with local administration of 2% Trimecain. Patients were able to stand in 10 to 12 hours and to walk by the end of the first postoperative day. All patients who underwent OVT were evacuated without drains by the third or fourth postoperative day, all tolerating sitting and standing positions. We conclude that early OVT in the military field hospital for continued bleeding, clotted hemothorax, and continued major air leakage has several advantages in military patients with PFAWT: early definition and management of organ injury; identification and control of bleeding in most instances; earlier and more accurate assessment for thoracotomy; vigorous lavage and removal of projectiles such as bone fragments and evacuation of clotted hemothorax; early debridement with suture closure of the thoracic wall canal; and minimal postoperative pain with dramatically reduced suppurative sequelae and bronchopleural fistulae.

Results of clinico-laboratory examinations of the endogenic intoxication in patients with injuries of the chest and abdomen are presented. Correlative relationships of the endogenic intoxication parameters and their association with the degree and character of injuries were established, the clinical informative value and prognostic significance of certain laboratory tests were determined. A conclusion is made on the necessity of a correction of endogenic intoxication in complex treatment of these patients.

Edema of the lungs complicates the course of closed and concurrent trauma of the chest in 24.2% of cases. Depending on the system with the primary trauma, three types of lung edema may occur according to the clinical course and character of pathophysiological disorders: cardiogenic (28.3%)--in primary trauma or pathology of the heart with the cardiac insufficiency syndrome; noncardiogenic (34.3%)--in contusion or pathology of the lungs with development of the hypertension syndrome; edema of a mixed form (37.4%) induced by hypovolemia in blood loss and shock with the development of the "small cardiac output syndrome". It is just their pathogenetic essence which determines the character of intensive therapy. The lung edema mortality rate is 11.6%, maximum mortality rate (9.1%) occurs in edema of a mixed form.