title: Reasons for medical evacuations of soldiers serving in International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The article presents the results of a research study into the reasons for medical evacuations of Polish military personnel taking part in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors have analysed medical records of 485 soldiers who were medically evacuated out of a combat zone in Afghanistan for battle injuries, non-battle injuries and diseases. Each medically evacuated Polish soldier was subjected to statistical analysis. The study population comprised 25,974 soldiers assigned to the Polish Military Contingent Afghanistan in the given period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2007 to 2013, 1.9% of the Polish military personnel (n = 485) participating in the ISAF operation in Afghanistan were evacuated for medical reasons before the scheduled termination of their contract. 40.6% of all medical evacuations were due to battle injuries, 32.4% due to non-battle injuries, and 27.0% due to diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ISAF is an example of a combat operation, in which battle injuries remain the leading health problem in mission participants. 3 of 4 Polish soldiers who were medically evacuated from Afghanistan were no longer fit for military service in the area of operations due to the traumas they had suffered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland. kktropmed@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Korzeniewski
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gregulski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000346:Afghanistan; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy