title: Extremity injury in war: a brief history.
abstract: The complex history of treating traumatic injury in Western warfare consistently included issues such as proximity to surgical care, the organization of medical systems, and the progressive development of technologies and procedures used to treat military service members who are injured in battle. Significant advances have been made in each of these areas, as evidenced in the changes in medical care in conflicts involving US forces. These advances include, among others, organized attempts to improve sanitation; panels of surgeons to assess optimal surgical approaches; the introduction of triage, wound débridement, and delayed wound closure; the development of chemotherapeutics and antibiotics; and increasingly more timely treatment. Perhaps the least recognized historical contribution to military medical care, however, is the compiled medical statistic, which informs bold research and response.
authors.affiliation: National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Adrianne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noe
mesh_terms: D005121:Extremities / Q000293:injuries*; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000266:history; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery