British surgical aid to Jordan.

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Surgical Management
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• No. 2 Field Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.), operated in Jordan.
• The hospital primarily treated patients with war wounds, many exhibiting infection due to delayed treatment.
• This marked a significant deployment of a British field hospital in an active role after many years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the surgical activities and challenges faced by a field hospital in a wartime setting.
• To discuss the management of infected war wounds and severe burns.
• To highlight the specific therapeutic interventions employed, including novel pharmacological agents.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of surgical cases admitted to No. 2 Field Hospital.
• Clinical assessment and management of war-wounded patients, with a focus on infected injuries.
• Application of ketamine (Ketalar) and mafenide acetate (Sulphamylon) for the treatment of burn casualties.

Main Results:

• A high incidence of infected war wounds was observed, complicating patient management.
• Successful application of ketamine and mafenide acetate in managing burn injuries was noted.
• The hospital effectively addressed a significant surgical workload under challenging conditions.

Conclusions:

• Delayed treatment of war wounds significantly increases infection rates and management complexity.
• Ketamine and mafenide acetate demonstrated utility in treating burn casualties within a field hospital setting.
• The deployment highlighted the critical role and capabilities of British field hospitals in active operational theaters.