title: Anti-personnel landmine injuries during peace: experience in a European country.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to report the incidence of landmine injuries during peacetime in a European country.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty victims of landmine explosions were admitted to Didimoticho General Hospital in Greece, from December 1988 to March 2003. A total of 19 people survived (47.5%) these events; all of the others were dead upon admission to the hospital. All of the victims were men, either suspected smugglers or migrants entering the country illegally, with an average of 30 years (range: 15-56 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most victims presented in groups, with multiple traumatic injuries, including lower extremity wounds. The mortality rate in the minefield prior to hospital admission was 52.5%, and the amputation rate for the survivors was 37%. There were no deaths of the patients admitted to the hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Landmines cause high-energy injuries with high mortality and amputation rates. Illegal migrants are the main victims of landmine explosions in Greece.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Department, General Hospital of Didimoticho, Greece. snapmd@in.gr
authors.forename: Stamatios A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Papadakis
authors.forename: Eleni C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Babourda
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Mitsitskas
authors.forename: Sotirios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Markakidis
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bachtis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koukouvis
authors.forename: Apostolos A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tentes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014857:Warfare