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Objective: Extremity vascular injury during the current war has been defined by anecdotal description and case series. These reports focused on estimation of short-term limb viability and technical description of commonly used adjuncts. Temporary vascular shunting (TVS) has been advocated in current care structures, yet mostly due to war environments, broader statistical scrutiny is lacking. This study''s purpose is to provide perspective on TVS''s impact on limb salvage, and estimate longer-term freedom from amputation. Methods: Data from the Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR), Balad Vascular Registry (BVR), Walter Reed Vascular Registry (WRVR), electronic medical records, and patient interviews were collected on American Troops sustaining extremity vascular injury from June 2003 through December 2007. Those in whom arterial TVS utilization was identified comprise the TVS group. These were compared with controls with similar injury date and anatomic location managed without TVS. Descriptive statistics were employed establishing overall univariate predictors of amputation and comparison between groups. Proportional-hazards modeling, with propensity score adjustment for systemic injury severity and Level 2 care, characterized risk factors of limb loss and effect of TVS. Freedom from amputation was estimated using Kaplan Meier log-rank methods. Results: Cases and controls consisted of 64 and 61 extremity arterial injuries, respectively. Mean follow-up was 22 months (range: 1-54 months). The TVS group was more severely injured (mean injury severity score [ISS]: 18 [SD = 10] TVS vs. 15 [SD = 10] control, P = .05) and more likely to receive Level 2 care (TVS: 26%; control: 10%, P = .02). Overall, a total of 26 amputations occurred (21%). Penetrating blasts, compared with gunshot wounds, were associated with amputation (30% vs. 6%, P = .002). After propensity score adjustment, use of TVS suggested a reduced risk of amputation (relative risk [RR] = 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.18-1.19]; P = .11). Venous repair was associated with limb salvage (RR = 0.2; 95% CI [0.04-0.99], P = .05). Associated fracture (RR = 5.0; 95% CI [1.45-17.28], P = .01), and elevated mangled extremity severity score (MESS) ([MESS 5-7] RR = 3.5, 95% CI [0.97-12.36], P = .06; [MESS 8-12] RR = 16.4; 95% CI (3.79-70.79), P < .001) predicted amputation. Amputation-free survival was 78% in the TVS group and 77% in the control group at three years (P = .5). Conclusion: Temporary vascular shunting used as a damage control adjunct in management of wartime extremity vascular injury does not lead to worse outcomes. Benefit from TVS is suggested, but not statistically significant. Injury specific variables of venous ligation, associated fracture, and penetrating blast mechanism are associated with amputation. Amputation-free survival after vascular injury in Operation Iraqi Freedom is 79% at three years. Further studies to statistically define any possible benefits of TVS are needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Important recent data on retrievable inferior vena cava filter (R-IVCF) used in civilian trauma centers suffer from poor follow-up in these transient patients. Because US military casualties can be more easily followed globally, our objective was to further characterize R-IVCF outcomes in a trauma population with improved follow-up. Methods: From July 2003 to June 2007, trauma registry records were retrospectively reviewed for US soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan who had R-IVCF placement. Indications, type of filter, complications, outcomes, and retrieval data were analyzed. Results: Seventy-two R-IVCFs were placed during the study period. Mean follow-up was 28.0 ± 12.0 months, in 61 (85%) patients. Mean injury severity score (ISS) was 36.3 ± 10.4 and mean patient age was 27.4 ± 6.4 years. Fifty-nine R-IVCFs (82%) were not retrieved due to: death (1, 1.3%), technical failure (2, 2.8%), lost to follow-up (11, 15.2%), or contraindications to retrieval (45, 62.5%). Thirteen R-IVCFs were successfully removed, an overall retrieval rate of 18%. Median dwell time of those removed was 47 days (range, 10-94). IVCF indications were prophylactic in 23 (32%) and therapeutic in 49 (68%) cases. Both retrieval failures were due to incorporation into the caval wall, attempted at 90 and 156 days. Deep vein thromboses at the insertion site or pulmonary embolism following R-IVCF placement or removal were not observed. To date, there have been no reports of IVC stenosis or occlusion. Conclusion: R-IVCFs were safely and effectively used in severely injured military trauma patients with high ISS. Despite improved follow-up, overall retrieval remained low, reflecting the civilian experience. Indication, rather than follow-up losses, accounted for the low retrieval rate. Practice patterns for R-IVCF in trauma may need to be re-examined to optimize outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The management of venous trauma remains controversial. Critics of venous repair have cited an increased incidence of associated venous thromboembolic events with this management. We analyzed the current treatment of wartime venous injuries in United States military personnel in an effort to answer this question. Methods: From December 1, 2001, to October 31, 2005, all United States casualties with named venous injuries were evaluated. A retrospective review of a clinical database was performed on demographics, mechanism of injury, associated injuries, treatment, outcomes, and venous thromboembolic events. Data were analyzed using the Fisher exact test, analysis of variance, and logarithmic transformation. Results: During this 5-year period, 82 patients sustained 103 named venous injuries due to combat operations. All patients were male, with an average age of 27.9 years (range, 20.3-58.3 years). Blast injuries accounted for 54 venous injuries (65.9%), gunshot wounds for 25 (30.5%), and motor vehicle accidents for 3 (3.6%). The venous injury was isolated in 28 patients (34.1%), and 16 (19.5%) had multiple venous injuries. The venous injury in two patients was associated with acute phlegmasia, with fractures in 33 (40.2%), and 22 (28.1%) sustained neurologic deficits. Venous injuries were treated by ligation in 65 patients (63.1%) and by open surgical repair in 38 (36.9%). Postoperative extremity edema occurred in all patients irrespective of method of management. Thrombosis after venous repair occurred in six of the 38 cases (15.8%). Pulmonary emboli developed in three patients, one after open repair and two after ligation (P > .99). Conclusion: In the largest review of military venous trauma in more than three decades, we found no difference in the incidence of venous thromboembolic complications between venous injuries managed by open repair vs ligation. Blast injuries of the extremities have caused most of the venous injuries. Ligation is the most common modality of treatment in combat zones. Long-term morbidity associated with venous injuries and their management will be assessed in future follow-up studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Discusses the postmodern economic condition and the postmodern political philosophy adopted in the U.S. as of August 2005. Concepts of hyperreality; Social factors contributing to hyperreality; Reference to the book "America," by Jean Baudrillard.

Focuses on the depreciation of public policy in the United States. Entry into an era of media-driven hyperreality; Detachment from the lived experience of the polity; Need to conceptualize the depreciation as a postmodern phenomenon; Use of welfare as a policy response to the modern problem of wage dependency; Public's reluctance to embrace any foundational dogma or social goal.

The article focuses on the application of postmodern thought to the reinventing of government movement in the United States and discusses the aspects of postmodern thought relevant to the reform of the public sector. The work and study of public policy formation and implementation occur in a context so fundamentally different from the past as to justify the judgment that one has crossed over from the era of modernity to postmodernity. In its production aspect, the transformation from modernity to postmodernity is associated with the widely noted move from an industrial to a postindustrial society. The postmodernist analysis finds that words, symbols, and signs are increasingly divorced from direct real-world experience. The relationship between the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and the National Performance Review reveals another startling contradiction. Reinvention of government movement is not just what it appears to be to public administrationists trapped in the logic of modernism.

Argues that there are compelling variables other than civil service which determine human relation skills of managers in workplaces in the United States. Alleged restrictive flaws of civil service system to managerial discretion; Comparison between civil service and noncivil service systems in terms of hiring and promotion; Keys to understanding rank and file attitudes.

In the past 20 years of the Global War on Terror, the US has seen substantial improvements in its system of medical delivery in combat. However, throughout that conflict, enemy forces did not have parity with the weaponry, capability, or personnel of the US and allied forces. War against countries like China and Russia, who are considered near-peer adversaries in terms of capabilities, will challenge battlefield medical care in many different ways. This article reviews the experience of a medical team, Global Surgical and Medical Support Group, that has been providing assistance, training, medical support, and surgical support to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The team has extensive experience in medicine, surgery, austere environments, conflict zones, and building partner nation capacities. This article compares and contrasts the healthcare systems of this war against the systems used during the Global War on Terror. The lessons learned here could help the US anticipate challenges and successfully plan for the provision of medical care in a future conflict against an adversary with capabilities close to its own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a minimally invasive alternative to resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) for patients with hemorrhagic shock. However, the potential benefits of this approach remain subject of debate. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of REBOA and RT for traumatic cardiac arrest., Methods: A planned secondary analysis of the United States Department of Defense-funded Emergent Truncal Hemorrhage Control study was performed. Between 2017 and 2018, a prospective observational study of noncompressible torso hemorrhage was conducted at six Level I trauma centers. Patients were dichotomized by REBOA or RT, and baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared between groups., Results: A total of 454 patients were enrolled in the primary study, of which 72 patients were included in the secondary analysis (26 underwent REBOA and 46 underwent resuscitative thoracotomy). Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta patients were older, had a greater body mass index, and were less likely to be the victims of penetrating trauma. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta patients also had less severe abdominal injuries and more severe extremity injuries, although the overall injury severity scores were similar. There was no difference in mortality between groups (88% vs. 93%, p = 0.767). However, time to aortic occlusion was longer in REBOA patients (7 vs. 4 minutes, p = 0.001) and they required more transfusions of red blood cells (4.5 vs. 2.5 units, p = 0.007) and plasma (3 vs. 1 unit, p = 0.032) in the emergency department. After adjusted analysis, mortality remained similar between groups (RR, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.12, p = 0.304)., Conclusion: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta and RT were associated with similar survival after traumatic cardiac arrest, although time to successful aortic occlusion was longer in the REBOA group. Further research is needed to better define the role of REBOA in trauma., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the current use of the ER-REBOA catheter and associated outcomes and complications., Introduction: Noncompressible truncal hemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially preventable death in trauma patients. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a novel strategy to obtain earlier temporary hemorrhage control, supporting cardiac, and cerebral perfusion before definitive hemostasis., Methods: Prospective, observational study conducted at 6 Level 1 Trauma Centers over 12-months. Inclusion criteria were age >15 years of age with evidence of truncal hemorrhage below the diaphragm and decision for emergent hemorrhage control intervention within 60 minutes of arrival. REBOA details, demographics, mechanism of injury, complications, and outcomes were collected., Results: A total of 8166 patients were screened for enrollment. In 75, REBOA was utilized for temporary hemorrhage control. Blunt injury occurred in 80% with a median injury severity score (ISS) 34 (21, 43). Forty-seven REBOAs were placed in Zone 1 and 28 in Zone 3. REBOA inflation increased systolic blood pressure from 67 (40, 83) mm Hg to 108 (90, 128) mm Hg 5 minutes after inflation (P = 0.02). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was ongoing during REBOA insertion in 17 patients (26.6%) and 10 patients (58.8%) had return of spontaneous circulation after REBOA inflation. The procedural complication rate was 6.6%. Overall mortality was 52%., Conclusion: REBOA can be used in blunt and penetrating trauma patients, including those in arrest. Balloon inflation uniformly improved hemodynamics and was associated with a 59% rate of return of spontaneous circulation for patients in arrest. Use of the ER-REBOA catheter is technically safe with a low procedural complication rate., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Traumatic popliteal artery injuries are associated with the greatest risk of limb loss of all peripheral vascular injuries, with amputation rates of 10% to 15%. The purpose of the present study was to examine the outcomes of patients who had undergone operative repair for traumatic popliteal arterial injuries and identify the factors independently associated with limb loss., Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective review of all patients with traumatic popliteal artery injuries from 2007 to 2018 was performed. All the patients who had undergone operative repair of popliteal arterial injuries were included in the present analysis. The patients who had required a major lower extremity amputation (transtibial or transfemoral) were compared with those with successful limb salvage at the last follow-up. The significant predictors (P < .05) for amputation on univariate analysis were included in a multivariable analysis., Results: A total of 302 patients from 11 institutions were included in the present analysis. The median age was 32 years (interquartile range, 21-40 years), and 79% were men. The median follow-up was 72 days (interquartile range, 20-366 days). The overall major amputation rate was 13%. Primary repair had been performed in 17% of patients, patch repair in 2%, and interposition or bypass in 81%. One patient had undergone endovascular repair with stenting. The overall 1-year primary patency was 89%. Of the patients who had lost primary patency, 46% ultimately required major amputation. Early loss (within 30 days postoperatively) of primary patency was five times more frequent for the patients who had subsequently required amputation. On multivariate regression, the significant perioperative factors independently associated with major amputation included the initial POPSAVEIT (popliteal scoring assessment for vascular extremity injury in trauma) score, loss of primary patency, absence of detectable immediate postoperative pedal Doppler signals, and lack of postoperative antiplatelet therapy. Concomitant popliteal vein injury, popliteal injury location (P1, P2, P3), injury severity score, and tibial vs popliteal distal bypass target were not independently associated with amputation., Conclusions: Traumatic popliteal artery injuries are associated with a significant rate of major amputation. The preoperative POPSAVEIT score remained independently associated with amputation after including the perioperative factors. The lack of postoperative pedal Doppler signals and loss of primary patency were highly associated with major amputation. The use of postoperative antiplatelet therapy was inversely associated with amputation, perhaps indicating a protective effect., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery. All rights reserved.)

We report a five year military experience with anterior retroperitoneal spine exposure combining vascular and neurosurgical spine teams. From August 2005 through April 2010 (56 months), hospital records from a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Complications, estimated blood loss, transfusions, operative time and length of stay were documented. Eighty-four patients with lumbar spondylosis underwent primary (63, 75%) or secondary exposure (21, 25%) of a single- (66, 79%) or multilevel disc space (18, 21%). Median operative time and estimated blood loss were 127 minutes (range, 30-331 minutes) and 350 mL (range, 0-2940 mL). The overall complication rate was 23.8%. Postoperative complications included six blood transfusions (7%), three patients with retrograde ejaculation (3.57%) or surgical site infection; two with a prolonged ileus (2.38%) or ventral hernia and one each with a bowel obstruction (1, 1.19%), deep venous thrombosis or lymphocele. All-cause mortality was 1%. In conclusion, a team approach can minimize complications while offering the technical benefits and durability of an anterior approach to the lumbar spine., (© The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.)

The field of medical billing and collections continues to evolve along with current developments in U.S. healthcare reform. Although there has been a significant shift of payment responsibility from third-party payers to patients, many practices are not equipped to handle this change. As patients' financial obligations increase, the physician's ability to collect from patients will become increasingly important. Inability to collect bills receivable can adversely affect the revenue cycle of the practice. Solutions include improvement of the point-of-service collection processes, properly trained office staff, written financial policies, and the use of technology to facilitate online payments. Patients should fully understand their financial responsibilities and options available to them for payment of services rendered.

Objective: Popliteal artery injury has historically led to high amputation rates in both the military and civilian setting. Military and civilian popliteal injury patterns differ in mechanism and severity of injury, prompting us to compare modern management and report differences in outcomes between these two patient groups. We hypothesized that whereas amputation rates may be higher in the military, this would correlate with worse overall injury severity., Methods: Military casualties from 2003-2007 with a popliteal artery injury identified from the Joint Theater Trauma Registry were compared retrospectively with civilian patients presenting to a single level I institution from 2002-2009 with popliteal arterial injury. Demographics, mechanism of injury, coinjuries, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Mangled Extremity Severity Scores (MESS), interventions, and secondary amputation rates were reviewed. Descriptive statistics and unpaired t-tests were used to compare data. Statistical significance was P < .05., Results: The study group of 110 patients consisted of 46 (41.8%) military and 64 (58.2%) civilians with 48 and 64 popliteal artery injuries, respectively. The military population was younger (28 vs 35 years; P < .004), entirely male (46 [100%] vs 51 [80%]; P < .0001), and had more penetrating injuries (44 [96%] vs 19 [30%]; P < .0001). ISS (18.7 vs 13.9; P < .005) and MESS (7.3 vs 5.1; P < .0001) were higher in the military group. Limb revascularizations in both military and civilian populations were mostly by autogenous bypass (65% vs 77%) followed by primary repair (26% vs 16%), covered stent (0% vs 6%), or other procedure (ligation and/or thrombectomy) (9% vs 1%). Fasciotomy (20 [42%] vs 37 [58%]; P = .14), compartment syndrome (10 [21%] vs 15 [23%]; P = .84), and concomitant venous repair rates (14 [29%] vs 15 [23%]; P = .42) were not different between cohorts. There was no difference in the fracture rate (26 [54%] vs 41 [64%]; P = .43), but the civilian group had a higher rate of dislocation (1 [2%] vs 19 [30%]; P < .0001). Secondary amputation rates were significantly higher in the military (14 [29%] vs 8 [13%]; P < .03)., Conclusions: Although both civilian and military cohorts have high amputation rates for popliteal arterial injury, the rate of amputation appears to be higher in the military and is associated with a penetrating mechanism of injury primarily from improvised explosive devices resulting in a higher MESS and ISS., (Copyright © 2014 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The objective of this report is to describe our experience of pediatric vascular injuries in a U.S. military combat support hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. A retrospective study was designed using Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR) records in order to evaluate the pediatric (age <18 years) population presenting with vascular trauma to a combat hospital in Baghdad, Iraq between April 2006 and August 2008. Demographic data comprised casualty, age, gender, and mechanism of injury. Physiologic data included presenting vital signs (rectal temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate), arterial pH, base deficit, hemoglobin (g/dL), and international normalized ratio., Results: Twenty-five children, median age 14 years (range, 5-17 years), median weight 48 kg (range, 15-80 kg) sustained 18 (72%) blast and 7 (28%) gunshot wounds. The mean Injury Severity Score was 25 ± 16.2. The median operative time for the vascular repairs was 189 minutes (range, 41-505 minutes). Patients were tachycardic (mean ± standard deviation, 136 ± 29 bpm), hypotensive (109/63 ± 29/19 mm Hg), and acidemic (pH 7.26 ± 0.07; BD -5.57 ± 5.1 mEq/L) on arrival to the emergency department and were physiologically improved upon admission to the intensive care unit 3 hours later. Repair techniques were ligation (14; 39%), saphenous graft (11; 31%), lateral suture (7; 19%), end anastomosis (2; 5%), patch (1; 3%), and thrombectomy (1; 3%). Twenty-four hour mean transfusion requirements included crystalloid 102 mL/kg (range, 19-253), transfused blood 47 mL/kg (range, 0-119), fresh frozen plasma 14 mL/kg (range, 0-68), and apheresis platelets (1.2 ± 3.68 units). Over a follow-up of 22 ± 5.5 days, the amputation-free survival was 80%., Conclusions: This is the largest reported wartime series to demonstrate in children that damage control resuscitation despite high injury severity permits simultaneous limb salvage., (Published by Mosby, Inc.)

Background: The effectiveness of damage-control resuscitation (DCR) has been demonstrated in recent US conflicts. Wartime casualties treated for hemorrhagic shock from vascular wounds were studied to report the 24-hour transfusion requirements, graft patency, and amputation-free survival for major vascular injuries., Methods: Joint Theater Trauma Registry data from August 2006 to April 2011 (56 months) were retrospectively reviewed. Included were casualties with a vascular injury who presented to US combat support hospitals in Iraq or Afghanistan. Amputation-free survival and graft patency were determined from record and imaging review., Results: The study group consisted of 497 severely wounded local national and military casualties (mean [SD] Injury Severity Score [ISS], 17 [8.5]) presenting with acidosis (pH 7.29 [0.15]), tachycardia (heart rate, 110 [29.31]), and coagulopathy (international normalized ratio, 1.6 [2.33]). Given DCR and early management of vascular injury, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, hemoglobin, and base deficit improved promptly (p < 0.05) by intensive care unit admission. Transfusion requirements included packed red blood cells (15 [13] U; range, 1-70 U), fresh frozen plasma (14 [13] U; range, 1-72 U), cryoprecipitate (13 [15] U; range, 1-49 U), and platelets (8 [6] U; range, 1-36 U). Mean operative time was 232 minutes (range, 16-763 minutes). US casualties (n = 111) had limb salvage attempted for 113 extremity vascular injuries (3 [2%] iliac, 33 [30%] femoral, 23 [20%] popliteal, 13 [12%] tibial, 33 [30%] brachial, 4 [3%] ulnar, and 4 [(3%] radial). In this subgroup, 28 (25%) were revascularized by a primary repair or end anastomosis, 80 (71%) were revascularized by saphenovenous grafts, and 15 (3%) [corrected] were revascularized by prosthetic grafts. The follow-up ranged from 29 days to 1,079 days, (mean, 347 days), during which 96 grafts (84.9%) remained patent, 16 casualties (14.2%) required a delayed amputation, and 110 (99.1%) survived. Popliteal injuries had the highest amputation rate (7 of 23, 30.4%). The amputation-free survival was 84%., Conclusion: In severely wounded casualties, wartime surgical strategies to save both life and limb evidently permit definitive procedures at initial surgery with excellent limb salvage results. This outcome analysis in a large cohort can help to refine surgical judgment and support contemporary DCR practices for major vascular injury., Level of Evidence: Epidemiologic study, level III; therapeutic study, level V.

Background: Secondary hemorrhage after a dehisced vascular reconstruction is a dreaded complication, yet few reports describe the initial management and outcome of casualties with ruptured grafts from military wounds. We aimed to report a single-center experience of graft ruptures after evacuation of casualties to a tertiary hospital in the continental United States., Methods: Trauma records of US combat casualties were retrospectively reviewed from April 2005 to August 2007. Casualties who underwent an extremity vascular reconstruction in Iraq or Afghanistan and experienced a ruptured graft were included., Results: Ten graft ruptures (mean time, 14 days) occurred during the study period. All casualties were males with penetrating injuries by secondary blast effects (5, 50%) or gunshot wounds (5, 50%). Mean age and Injury Severity Score were 28.2 years (range, 20-41 years) and 21.1 (range 10-32), respectively. Repairs were performed on the superficial femoral (4, 40%), popliteal (2, 20%), brachial (1, 10%), axillary (1, 10%), iliac (1, 10%), and common femoral (1, 10%) arteries using reversed saphenous vein grafts (10, 100%). Initial management included control of hemorrhage and extra-anatomic reconstruction with a vein graft (4), prosthetic graft (4), end-to-end anatomosis (1), or primary amputation (1). Secondary complications in those 10 limbs requiring reintervention included 4 thrombotic graft failures (40%), and 1 transfemoral amputation from a graft infection. Ruptures were frequently associated with long-bone fractures (6, 60%), large soft tissue open wounds (5, 50%) and infection (7, 70%). At a mean follow-up of 37 months, the amputation rate in this series was 30%, with an amputation-free survival of 70%., Conclusion: Contaminated military wounds with bony fractures may predispose a graft of any type (vein or prosthetic) to anastomotic dehiscence. Wounds must be carefully debrided, and when grafts cannot be covered with viable muscle, they should be routed around the zone of injury., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, level V.

Background: Popliteal artery war wounds can bleed severely and historically have high rates of amputation associated with ligation (72%) and repair (32%). More than before, casualties are now surviving the initial medical evacuation and presenting with severely injured limbs that prompt immediate limb salvage decisions in the midst of life-saving maneuvers. A modern analysis of current results may show important changes because previous limb salvage strategies were limited by the resuscitation and surgical techniques of their eras. Because exact comparisons between wars are difficult, the objective of this study was to calculate a worst-case (a pulseless, fractured limb with massive hemorrhage from popliteal artery injury) amputation-free survival rate for the most severely wounded soldiers undergoing immediate reconstruction to save both life and limb., Methods: We performed a retrospective study of trauma casualties admitted to the combat support hospital at Ibn Sina Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, between 2003 and 2007. US military casualties requiring a massive transfusion (> or = 10 blood units transfused within 24 hours of injury) were identified. We extracted data on the subset of casualties with a penetrating supra or infrageniculate popliteal arterial vascular injury. Demographics, injury mechanism, Injury Severity Score, tourniquet use, physiologic parameters, damage control adjuncts, surgical repair techniques, operative time, and outcomes (all-cause 30-day mortality, amputation rates, limb salvage failure, and graft patency) were investigated., Results: Forty-six massively transfused male casualties, median age 24 years (range, 19-54 years; mean Injury Severity Score, 19 +/- 8.0), underwent immediate orthopedic stabilization and vascular reconstruction. There was one early death. The median operative time for the vascular repairs was 217 minutes (range, 94-630 minutes) and included all damage control procedures. Combined arterial and venous injuries occurred in 17 (37%). Ligation was performed for no arterial and 9 venous injuries. Amputations (transtibial or transfemoral) were considered limb salvage failures (14 of 48, 29.2%) and were grouped as immediate (< or = 48 hours, 5), early (>48 hours and < or = 30 days, 6), or late (>30 days, 3). Limb losses were from graft thrombosis, infection, or chronic pain. Combined arterial and venous injuries occurred in 17 (37%). Ligation was performed for no arterial and nine venous injuries. For a median follow-up (excluding death) of 48 months (range, 23-75 months), the amputation-free survival rate was 67%., Conclusions: This study, a worst-case study, showed comparable results to historical controls regarding limb salvage rates (71% for Iraq vs. 56-69% for the Vietnam War). Thirty-day survival (98%), 4-year amputation-free survival (67%), and complication-free rates (35%) fill knowledge gaps. Guidelines for managing popliteal artery injuries show promising results because current resuscitation practices and surgical care yielded similar amputation rates to prior conflicts despite more severe injuries. Significant transfusion requirements and injury severity may not indicate a life-over-limb strategy for popliteal arterial repairs. Future studies of limb salvage failures may help improve casualty care by reducing the complications that directly impact amputation-free survival.

Background: High velocity fragments have resulted in a multitude of complex injuries in the military patients, placing them at increased risk of venous thromboembolism., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of all the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided bedside inferior vena cava (IVC) filters placed between August 2003 and October 2007., Results: Fourteen patients had bedside IVUS-guided retrievable filter placement. Thirteen males and one female and the mean (+SD) injury severity scores (ISS) was 37.2 (+9.9). The most common causes of injury were explosive devices (57%), gunshot wounds (28%), rocket-propelled grenades (7%), and motor vehicle crashes (7%). Indications for filter insertion were deep venous thrombosis in 36% of patients and pulmonary embolus in 28%. Thirty five percent had filters inserted prophylactically., Conclusions: Military trauma population ISS is considerably higher than what is reported in the civilian population. The bedside IVUS-guided IVC filter insertion is particularly useful in this population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if emergency tourniquet use saved lives., Summary Background Data: Tourniquets have been proposed as lifesaving devices in the current war and are now issued to all soldiers. Few studies, however, describe their actual use in combat casualties., Methods: A prospective survey of injured who required tourniquets was performed over 7 months in 2006 (NCT00517166 at ClinicalTrials.gov). Follow-up averaged 28 days. The study was at a combat support hospital in Baghdad. Among 2,838 injured and admitted civilian and military casualties with major limb trauma, 232 (8%) had 428 tourniquets applied on 309 injured limbs. We looked at emergency tourniquet use, and casualties were evaluated for shock (weak or absent radial pulse) and prehospital versus emergency department (ED) tourniquet use. We also looked at those casualties indicated for tourniquets but had none used. We assessed survival rates and limb outcome., Results: There were 31 deaths (13%). Tourniquet use when shock was absent was strongly associated with survival (90% vs. 10%; P < 0.001). Prehospital tourniquets were applied in 194 patients of which 22 died (11% mortality), whereas 38 patients had ED application of which 9 died (24% mortality; P = 0.05). The 5 casualties indicated for tourniquets but had none used had a survival rate of 0% versus 87% for those casualties with tourniquets used (P < 0.001). Four patients (1.7%) sustained transient nerve palsy at the level of the tourniquet. No amputations resulted solely from tourniquet use., Conclusions: Tourniquet use when shock was absent was strongly associated with saved lives, and prehospital use was also strongly associated with lifesaving. No limbs were lost due to tourniquet use. Education and fielding of prehospital tourniquets in the military environment should continue.

Background: Hemorrhage from extremity wounds is a leading cause of potentially preventable death during modern combat operations. Optimal management involves rapid hemostasis and reversal of metabolic derangements utilizing damage control principles. The traditional practice of damage control surgery favors a life over limb approach and discourages elaborate, prolonged vascular reconstructions. We hypothesized that limb preservation could be successful when the damage control approach combines advanced resuscitative strategies and modern vascular techniques., Methods: Trauma Registry records at a Combat Support Hospital from April to June 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with life-threatening hemorrhage (defined as >4 units of packed red blood cells) who underwent simultaneous revascularization for a pulseless extremity were included. Data collection included the initial physiologic parameters in the emergency department (ED), total and 24-hour blood product requirements, and admission physiology and laboratory values in the intensive care unit (ICU). Outcome measures were survival, graft patency, and amputation rate at 7 days., Results: Sixteen patients underwent 20 vascular reconstructions for upper (3) or lower extremity (17) wounds. Patients were hypotensive (blood pressure 105/60 +/- 29/18), acidotic (pH 7.27 +/- 0.1; BD -7.50 +/- 5.5), and coagulopathic (international normalized ratio 1.3 +/- 0.4) on arrival to the ED and essentially normal upon admission to the ICU, 4 hours later. Vein grafts (19/20, 95%) were used preferentially. Prosthetic grafts (1), shunting and delayed repair (4) or amputation (1) were infrequent. Heparin was not used or limited to a half dose (5/20, 25%). Tourniquets (12/16, 75%) and fasciotomies (13/16, 81%) were routine. Most (75%) received recombinant factor VIIa in the ED and in the operating room. All survived with normalized physiology on arrival in the ICU. Twenty-four-hour crystalloid use averaged 7.1 +/- 3.2 L, whereas packed red blood cells averaged 23 +/- 18 units, and 88% were massively transfused. Median operative time was 4.5 hours (range, 1.7-8.4 hours)., Conclusions: Aggressive damage control resuscitation maneuvers in critically injured casualties successfully permitted prolonged, complex extremity revascularization with excellent early limb salvage and graft patency. Recombinant VIIa and liberal resuscitation with fresh whole blood, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate, while minimizing crystalloid, allowed limb salvage and did not result in early graft failures.

Objectives: Major vascular injury is a leading cause of potentially preventable hemorrhagic death in modern combat operations. An optimal resuscitation approach for military trauma should offer both rapid hemorrhage control and early reversal of metabolic derangements. The objective of this report is to establish the use and effectiveness of a damage control resuscitation (DCR) strategy in the setting of wartime vascular injury., Methods: A retrospective two-cohort case control study was performed using the Joint Theater Trauma Registry to identify patients with an extremity vascular injury treated at two different points in time: group 1 (n = 16) from April to June 2006 when DCR concepts were put into practice and group 2 (n = 24) 1 year later in a period when DCR strategies were not employed., Results: Baseline demographics, injury severity, admission physiology, and operative details were similar between groups 1 and 2. Group 1 patients received more total blood products (23 vs. 12 units, p < 0.05), fresh frozen plasma (16 vs. 7 units, p < 0.01), cryoprecipitate (11 vs. 1.2 units, p < 0.05), whole blood (19% vs. 0%, p = 0.06), and early recombinant factor VIIa (75% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) than group 2 patients. Group 1 patients had a more complete early physiologic recovery after vascular reconstruction (heart rate: 38 vs. 12, p < 0.001; systolic blood pressure, 39 vs. 14, p < 0.001; base deficit: 7.36 vs. 2.72, p < 0.001; International Normalized Ratio, 0.3 vs. 0.1, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in early amputation rates (group 1: 6.2% vs. group 2: 4.2%) or 7-day mortality (0% in both groups)., Conclusions: This study was the first to use the Joint Theater Trauma Registry for follow-up on an established clinical practice guideline. DCR goals appear now to be met during the management of acute wartime vascular injuries with effective correction of physiologic shock. The overall impact of this resuscitation strategy on long-term outcomes such as limb salvage and mortality remains to be determined.

Management of traumatic vascular injury can offer special challenges even to experienced surgeons who are functioning in resource-limited situations. Lessons learned from past conflicts have advanced the practice of vascular trauma surgery on the battlefield and in urban trauma centers. Current conflicts provide a fresh opportunity to examine those recent advancements that have improved surgical capability and as a result have changed the practice of vascular surgery on the modern battlefield. This article provides an overview of the contemporary management of vascular injuries in combat casualties during recent United States military operations.

The management of venous trauma continues to be debated. Historically, ligation of injured veins is the most common modality of surgical treatment. In the past half-century, additional techniques have been used, including primary repair, interposition graft, and occasionally endovascular techniques. Venous repair, whether in the acute or chronic setting, is believed to prevent or ameliorate the complications of pain, edema, and phlegmasia. Venous repair in civilian trauma and in wartime is commonplace; however, overall treatment strategies remain largely unchanged since the Vietnam War.

Traumatic hemorrhage and vascular injury management have been concerns for both civilian and military physicians. During the 20th century, advances in technique allowed surgeons to focus on vascular repair, restoration of perfusion, limb salvage, and life preservation. Military surgeons such as Makins, DeBakey, Hughes, Rich, and others made significant contributions to the field of surgery in general and vascular surgery in particular. Casualties from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq confront physicians and surgeons with devastating injuries. The current generation of providers is challenged with applying contemporary care while expanding upon the lessons taught by our predecessors. The objective of this report is to review the historical experience with managing military upper extremity arterial injuries and compare that experience with current management.

Objective: The treatment of wartime injuries has led to advances in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular trauma. Recent experience has stimulated a reappraisal of the management of such injuries, specifically assessing the effect of explosive devices on injury patterns and treatment strategies. The objective of this report is to provide a single-institution analysis of injury patterns and management strategies in the care of modern wartime vascular injuries., Methods: From December 2001 through March 2004, all wartime evacuees evaluated at a single institution were prospectively entered into a database and retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included site, type, and mechanism of vascular injury; associated trauma; type of vascular repair; initial outcome; occult injury; amputation rate; and complication. Liberal application of arteriography was used to assess these injuries. The results of that diagnostic and therapeutic approach, particularly as it related to the care of the blast-injured patient, are reviewed., Results: Of 3057 soldiers evacuated for medical evaluation, 1524 (50%) sustained battle injuries. Known or suspected vascular injuries occurred in 107 (7%) patients, and these patients comprised the study group. Sixty-eight (64%) patients were wounded by explosive devices, 27 (25%) were wounded by gunshots, and 12 (11%) experienced blunt traumatic injury. The majority of injuries (59/66 [88%]) occurred in the extremities. Nearly half (48/107) of the patients underwent vascular repair in a forward hospital in Iraq or Afghanistan. Twenty-eight (26%) required additional operative intervention on arrival in the United States. Vascular injuries were associated with bony fracture in 37% of soldiers. Twenty-one of the 107 had a primary amputation performed before evacuation. Amputation after vascular repair occurred in 8 patients. Of those, 5 had mangled extremities associated with contaminated wounds and infected grafts. Sixty-seven (63%) patients underwent diagnostic angiography. The most common indication was mechanism of injury (42%), followed by abnormal examination (33%), operative planning (18%), or evaluation of a repair (7%)., Conclusions: This interim report represents the largest analysis of US military vascular injuries in more than 30 years. Wounding patterns reflect past experience with a high percentage of extremity injuries. Management of arterial repair with autologous vein graft remains the treatment of choice. Repairs in contaminated wound beds should be avoided. An increase in injuries from improvised explosive devices in modern conflict warrants the more liberal application of contrast arteriography. Endovascular techniques have advanced the contemporary management and proved valuable in the treatment of select wartime vascular injuries.