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

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.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA480269

Entities

People

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

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Debridement
  • Explosives
  • Health Services
  • Hospitals
  • Medical Personnel
  • Patient Care
  • Soft Tissues
  • Tissues
  • Wound Infections
  • Wounds And Injuries

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Trauma Surgery or Emergency Medicine.