Machete injuries in Haiti.
Machete-related wounds are a source of appreciable morbidity in many developing nations. We describe a case of radial nerve injury resulting from a machete attack in Haiti. Twenty-two additional cases of machete-related wounds treated during a 3-month humanitarian mission to Haiti are reported. Sixty-five percent were accidental in nature, occurring from a variety of routine activities, whereas the remainder were secondary to assaults. The upper extremity was injured in 85% of the cases, often resulting in complicated wounds with nerve, tendon, and joint injuries. A treatment protocol for peripheral nerve injuries incurred in austere conditions is presented.
Wiedeman
J E
JE
Department of General and Plastic Surgery, David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, CA 94535, USA.
Zierold
D
D
Klink
B K
BK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006205:Haiti / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011826:Radial Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology