Methods and results of the treatment of peacetime and wartime multiple injuries--a comparative study

Seventy-one patients suffering from multiple injuries were divided into two groups, according to the manner in which the injuries were inflicted. Forty-one were injured in 'peacetime' circumstances (road traffic accidents, 85.4 per cent), and 30 patients were injured during 'military' shelling or in combat. Since there is no generally accepted severity scoring of wartime multiple injuries, this paper has offered one. A 'peacetime' scoring system was used to compare the hospital mortality in the two groups. The severity of injuries in both groups was estimated by using the Injury Severity Score. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with regard to injury severity, age, hospital mortality rate, received infusion, or the number of specialists involved in treatment. The differences between the two groups were significant in the application of transfusion and antibiotics, number of operations performed, and the time span between injury and operation.