Research Paper Title

The Management of Combat Wounds: The British Military Experience.

Introduction

As the UK military has been engaged in recent conflicts in the Middle East, the University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) in Birmingham, through which all injured British soldiers are transferred for treatment, have often been faced with challenging traumatic wounds, particularly those caused by improvised incendiary devices and gunshot wounds.

The RCDM also provides medical support to overseas operational deployments and delivers secondary healthcare for members of the military (Role 4). It is also a training center for defense personnel. All injured British military personnel from overseas are transferred back to the RCDM, part of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB). The QEHB is a unique center in the United Kingdom, treating both military and civilian trauma.

Changes in body armor have resulted in fewer abdominal and thoracic injuries and therefore relatively more limb injuries. These injuries are often associated with extensive soft tissue stripping and contamination. High levels of exudate are commonly present, and these wounds are particularly prone to infection both by fungi and bacteria.

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Reference

Jefferey, S.L.A. (2016) The Management of Combat Wounds: The British Military Experience. Advances in Wound Care (New Rochelle). 5(10), pp.464–473. Published online 2016 Oct 1. doi: 10.1089/wound.2015.0653.