Amputations in natural disasters and mass casualties: staged approach.
Amputation is a commonly performed procedure during natural disasters and mass casualties related to industrial accidents and military conflicts where large civilian populations are subjected to severe musculoskeletal trauma. Crush injuries and crush syndrome, an often-overwhelming number of casualties, delayed presentations, regional cultural and other factors, all can mandate a surgical approach to amputation that is different than that typically used under non-disaster conditions. The following article will review the subject of amputation during natural disasters and mass casualties with emphasis on a staged approach to minimise post-surgical complications, especially infection.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, California Pacific Medical Center, 45 Castro Street, Suite 337, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA. nik@drwolfson.com
Nikolaj
N
Wolfson
D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D004190:Disasters; D006801:Humans; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D014194:Traumatology / Q000379:methods*