Biological foreign body implantation in victims of the London July 7th suicide bombings.
On the morning of July 7, 2005, a co-ordinated attack by suicide bombers on the London public transport system resulted in four explosions at densely packed civilian targets. Of the victims of these attacks, 194 were treated at the Royal London Hospital, where among the most severely injured an unusual pattern of injury was seen. Bone fragments from other victims (or possible the bomber) were found embedded as biological foreign bodies within the soft tissues of several patients. We present case reports of five of these patients, and discuss problems arising from the management of their injuries. Allogenic bony foreign bodies, rarely reported in the medical literature, present unusual problems in their management, in particular the risk of transmitting blood borne diseases, which should be anticipated and addressed in a hospital's major incident planning.
Wong
James Min-Leong
JM
Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, The Royal London Hospital, United Kingdom. minleong@doctors.org.uk
Marsh
Dan
D
Abu-Sitta
Ghassan
G
Lau
Steven
S
Mann
Haroon A
HA
Nawabi
Danyal H
DH
Patel
Hasu
H
D000328:Adult; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D001842:Bone and Bones; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D003646:Debridement; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods; D005107:Explosions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed