BACKGROUND Local nationals with complex wounds resulting from traumatic combat injuries during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom usually must undergo reconstructive surgery in the combat zone. While the use of microvascular free-tissue transfer (free flaps) for traumatic reconstruction is well documented in the literature, various complicating factors exist when these intricate surg...

Infection is a major factor that postpones wound healing specially in traumatic wounds. Many reports indicate important role of washing solutions on preventing wound infections. Tap water has been used for centuries as a wound cleanser without evidence of adverse effects or associated infection risk. Normal sterile saline is also regarded as the most appropriate and preferred cleansing solution...

Quantitative bacterial and fungal cultures carried out on 116 speciments of tissue debrided from traumatic orthopedic wounds yielded 118 bacterial and 8 fungal isolates. The organisms obtained reflected primarily the resident flora of the skin.

The normal development of the healing process takes approximately 8 months. The beginning of healing is marked by inflammatory phenomena which reach their maximum extent towards the 40th to the 50th day. After this period, the wound becomes less congestive and a sclerous reaction of the neighbouring tissue takes place. This retraction continues until approximately the 6th month when, on the con...

traumatic false aneurysm of the thoracic aorta is not uncommon. but accordingly this case is unusual in its ten year delay between injury and presentation and treatment. a victim of the iran-iraq war is presented with a false aneurysm of the thoracic aorta ten years after a bullet injury to the chest and thoracic spine. penetrating chest wounds, mechanisms of injury and diagnosis are also discu...

The use of Celox, a chitosan-based haemostatic agent, for the control of massive traumatic bleeding in patients arriving at a ROLE 2 (Enhanced Care) Facility in southwestern Afghanistan is described. Twenty-one soldiers with gunshot wounds were treated with successful haemostasis in 18 at the first application and in three after further applications. Celox is an effective haemostatic agent and ...

Late wound management requires not only mastery of the techniques involved in scar revision, but a thorough understanding of facial anatomy, wound healing, and the psychological factors associated with traumatic injury. Treatment of a patient for scar revision requires the surgeon to understand that a patient’s perception of a scar is often influenced by emotionally charged circumstances and po...