Missile Wounds of the Abdomen: Analysis of 135 US Army Casualties in Vietnam.
Abstract
US Army combat casualties with abdominal trauma caused by missiles have been analyzed. The men were injured in hostile action in Vietnam during the period of July 1967 to September 1968. The cases in the study were taken from the files of the Wound Data and Munitions Effectiveness Team (WDMET). In survivors, most entrance wounds were anterior and in the upper quadrant; the colon, small intestine, liver, and kidney, in that order, were most frequently injured, and there was a larger percentage of multiple organ injuries than in previous wars. War injuries to the colon are far more severe than civilian injuries, as a result of high-velocity missiles; these injuries are treated with 'double-barrel' colostomy. In thoraco-abdominal wounds, the thorax is treated first, usually with closed-chest thoracotomy. In fatalities, most entrance wounds were thoraco-abdominal and posterior; the liver, colon, small intestine, and spleen were most frequently injuried, in that order. More fatalities than survivors had bullet wounds, indicating that bullets are more lethal than fragments in abdominal wounds. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0867809
Entities
People
- Ian Sunshine