Epidemiology of injuries caused by civil unrest in Yemen. A case series of the first wave of patients treated at the National Trauma Center of the Sultanate of Oman
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Civil unrest leads to a significant healthcare impact. The unsettled Yemeni political scene has been present for a long time. This civil conflict has led to loss of innocent lives and long-lasting physical and emotional morbidity. To date, there has been no description of the initial impact of the Yemeni civil conflict on healthcare services.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographics and the pattern of injuries, management and follow-up for the first wave of civil war victims repatriated to the Sultanate of Oman in March 2015.
METHOD: A retrospective review of all civil victims repatriated from Yemen to the Sultanate of Oman after the March 2015 bombings. The data is extracted from medical records.
RESULTS: A total of 47 patients were evacuated from Yemen after 2 suicide bombings and treated initially in Oman. All patients were males and their mean age was 31 years, (range 6–66 years). Long bone fractures were the most common injury type (n = 39, 84%). Complex wounds were present in 36 (78%) patients, which required surgical intervention. Blast burns occurred in 7 patients (15%) and 10 patients (21%) had abdominal and chest injuries. Unfortunately, two patients succumbed to their injuries. The average length of stay for survivors was 25 days (6–156 days).
CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the complexity of injuries created by modern civil unrest situations. The study also indicated the regional impact of such situations on nearby countries. This study is a pioneering in describing the first wave of repatriated victims from the recent Yemeni conflict.
Keywords: epidemiology of injuriescivil unrest in Yemenfirs wave of patientsOman
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