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Paediatric casualties during OP TELIC
1MDHU Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey.
Insights
This audit of paediatric attendances at a British Army Field Hospital during warfighting found that children represented a significant portion of non-coalition patients, with burns being the most common injury. Most required specialist transfer.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Paediatric Emergency Care
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- Paediatric casualties in military settings require specific considerations for medical units.
- Understanding the patterns of paediatric attendance in field hospitals is crucial for operational readiness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit all paediatric attendances at a British Army Field Hospital during a warfighting operation.
- To analyze the types of injuries and outcomes for children treated in a deployed military medical facility.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of Accident & Emergency (A&E) attendance registers, clinical records, and trainee logbooks.
- Inclusion criteria: patients under 16 years old presenting during the OPTELIC warfighting phase (March-May 2003).
Main Results:
- Seventy-eight children (<16 years) were treated, with a mean age of 7.9 years.
- Children constituted 2.9% of total attendances and 32.9% of non-coalition patients.
- Burns (56%) were the most common injury, followed by shrapnel injuries (9%) and blunt trauma (6%); 17% were medical complaints.
- 78% of paediatric patients required transfer to a specialist facility.
Conclusions:
- Paediatric casualties represent a notable proportion of patients in deployed military hospitals, particularly among non-coalition populations.
- Effective planning, training, and equipping of medical units are essential to manage paediatric casualties during future military operations.
Aim:
To audit all paediatric attendances to a British Army Field Hospital during warfighting.
Population:
All patients <16-years-old who presented to 34 Field Hospital Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department during warfighting phase of OPTELIC (27 Mar 03 to 01 May 03).
Method:
A retrospective analysis of A&E attendance register, A&E clinical records, and A&E trainees' logbooks from the department of 34 Field Hospital.
Results:
Seventy eight children were treated, mean age 7.9 years. 65.4% were male and 34.6% female. Children accounted for 2.9% of all patients (total attendances 2720) and 32.9% of non-coalition patients (non-coalition attendances 237). 44 (56%) children had burns as the principal injury; 7 (9%) had shrapnel injuries, 5 (6%) had blunt trauma from a road traffic accident. Only one child had GSW. 17% of attendances were related to 'medical' complaints rather than trauma. 78% of children required transfer to a specialist facility.
Conclusions:
Recognition of the potential for paediatric casualties is required to facilitate appropriate planning, training and equipping of medical units deployed on future operations.
