title: Management of head trauma due to landmine explosions: from battle field to operation room.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head injuries due to landmine explosions are not well studied and the management of such injuries is not documented, even though there is, unfortunately, a regrettably high incidence of such injuries in the military and in civilians.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of 119 patients who underwent surgery for the head injuries due to landmine explosions were reviewed retrospectively. All of these patients were military personnel, and the mean age was 23 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total 83 (69.7%) of the cases were injured by the anti-personnel devices and 36 (30.3%) by vehicle landmines. Fifty percent of the patients underwent surgery for depressed skull fracture, intraparenchymal foreign body, epidural haematoma or subdural haematoma. Six (0.05%) patients died in the emergency room.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Landmine explosions can produce classic injury patterns from blunt and penetrating mechanisms to several organ systems, including the brain. They also produce unique injury patterns to the brain. Understanding this important difference is critical in management of these injuries. Early surgical treatment and appropriate management could save more lives.
authors.affiliation: GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkey. cematabey@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atabey
authors.forename: Alparslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asir
authors.forename: Turgay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ersoy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D002437:Cefazolin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery*; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D020198:Intracranial Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000628:therapy; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D014421:Turkey; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010672:Phenytoin; D002437:Cefazolin