Military Patient Blood Management as a Critical Factor in Combat-Related Septic Reconstructive Surgery: A Case Report

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Surgical Patient Care

Background:

• Combat-related traumatic injuries (CRTI) often cause multifactorial anemia in soldiers.
• Blood transfusions are risky, scarce, and logistically challenging in deployed settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate the importance of early anemia screening and targeted treatment within a Patient Blood Management (PBM) framework.
• To highlight effective anemia management in military reconstructive surgery.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 32-year-old soldier with blast injury, femoral fracture, and chronic osteomyelitis.
• Diagnostic work-up revealed iron deficiency anemia.
• Anemia managed with intravenous and oral iron supplementation during surgical and antimicrobial treatment.

Main Results:

• Postoperative anemia progression was successfully managed with iron supplementation.
• Avoided the need for blood transfusion in a complex surgical case.
• Demonstrated the efficacy of PBM principles in a military context.

Conclusions:

• Structured anemia management is crucial in military surgery, even for young, healthy patients.
• Identifying and correcting deficiencies (iron, B12, folate) is an effective strategy.
• PBM improves outcomes and conserves resources, especially during large-scale combat operations.