[Medical consequences of land mines: Red Cross experiences].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the medical consequences of land mine injuries.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
A total of 17,414 casualties of war, treated in five hospitals of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) over a three-year period were evaluated. 3264 of these casualties had anti-personnel mine injuries.


RESULTS
Approximately one out of three land mine casualties underwent an amputation of the lower extremities (n = 1040). The number of operations and the blood requirements depended on the extent of the amputation. Hospital mortality was 3.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
Amputees have a higher mortality and a longer hospital stay, need more blood and undergo more operations than non-amputated casualties. The social consequences are considerable, as well. Better protection against indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines is urgently necessary on medical grounds.
Korver
A J
AJ
Nederlandse Rode Kruis, afd. Internationale Activiteiten, Den Haag.
D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012011:Red Cross; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014857:Warfare
Medische gevolgen van landmijnen: ervaringen van het Rode Kruis.