Exploratory laparotomy during the battle of Mosul, 2016-2017: results from a tertiary civilian hospital in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.

BACKGROUND: The Battle of Mosul (2016-2017) was an urban conflict resulting in over 9000 civilian deaths. Emergency Management Centre (EMC), located 90 km from Mosul, was designated as a civilian-run trauma centre as part of the novel Mosul Trauma Pathway. Patients necessitating exploratory laparotomy (ex-lap) provide a unique window into the system of care delivery in conflicts, given the importance of timely, resource-intensive care. However, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the presentation and outcomes for conflict-related ex-lap in civilian institutions. METHODS: This is a descriptive study retrospectively analyzing routinely collected data for all patients who underwent ex-lap at EMC for injuries sustained during the battle of Mosul. Differences in demographics, pre-hospital/hospital course, and New Injury Severity Scores (NISS) were analysed using student t-test, Hotelling T-squared, and linear regression. RESULTS: During the battle, 1832 patients with conflict-related injuries were admitted to EMC. Some 73/1832 (4.0%) underwent ex-lap, of whom 22/73 (30.1%) were children and 40/73 (54.8%) were non-combatant adults. Men constituted 51/73 (69%) patients. Gunshot wounds caused 19/73 (26.0%) injuries, while ordnances caused 52/73 (71.2%). Information regarding hospital course was available for 47/73 (64.4%) patients. Children had prolonged time from injury to first laparotomy compared to adults (600 vs 208 min, p < 0.05). Median LOS was 6 days (IQR 4-9.5); however, 11/47 (23%) patients left against medical advice. Post-operative complications occurred in 11/47 (23.4%) patients; 6/11 (54.5%) were surgical site infections. There were 12 (25.5%) patients who underwent relaparotomies after index surgery elsewhere; 10/12 (83.3%) were for failed repairs or missed injuries. Median NISS was 18 (IQR 12-27). NISS were significantly higher for women (vs men; 28.5 vs 19.8), children (vs adults; 28.8 vs 20), and relaparotomy patients (vs primary laparotomy patients; 32.0 vs 19.0). Some 3 patients died, 2 of whom were relaparotomies. CONCLUSION: At this civilian tertiary trauma centre, conflict-related exploratory laparotomies were associated with low morbidity and mortality. Long transport times, high rates of repeat laparotomies, and high numbers of patients leaving against medical advice raise questions regarding continuity of care along the Mosul Trauma Pathway. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered at Clinicaltrails.gov, ID NCT03490305, prior to collection of data.

Evaluation of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rare and lethal disease that accounts for 1-2% of thyroid malignancies. It is an aggressive locoregional disease with a high rate of distant metastasis, a poor prognosis, and a mean survival rate of 3-6 months after diagnosis. This retrospective study aimed to analyse the clinical and pathological features of ATC to assess treatment procedures and its outcome. METHODS: We analysed data from 22 patients diagnosed with ATC from 2018 to 2021, using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test to determine overall survival. RESULTS: Patients' median age was 64.3 ± 17.1 years. Females were more affected (male/female ratio: 1:1.7); 14 cases occurred in females (63.6.4%), and eight in males (36.4%). The most common manifestations were neck enlargement (81.8%) and dyspnoea (72.27%), and the tumour size was > 4 cm in 17 (77.3%) patients. The percentage of cases that presented in clinical-stage IVA was 36.4%, with 31.8% presenting in clinical-stage IVB and 31.8% presenting in clinical-stage VIB. Among 22 cases, 14 (63.6%) were operable, and 8 (36.4) were inoperable (p = 0.015). Multimodal therapies were associated with better survival (surgery plus radiotherapy without systemic treatment, P = 0.063). The median overall survival was three months (IC 95%, 0.078-5.922). One-year and two-year survival rates were 9% and 4.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: ATC is a rapidly growing cancer that, fortunately, is rare. Early diagnosis and multimodality treatment may provide a better quality of life and survival time for this group of patients.

Epidemiology of Trauma Patients from the Mosul Offensive, 2016-2017: Results from a Dedicated Trauma Center in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.

INTRODUCTION: Most epidemiological studies from conflicts are restricted to either combatants or civilians. It is largely unknown how the epidemiology differs between the two groups. In 2016, an Iraqi-led coalition began retaking Mosul from the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. One key institution that received trauma patients from Mosul was Emergency Management Center (EMC) in Erbil, 90 km away. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology, morbidity, and mortality of civilians and combatants admitted during the ongoing conflict. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study utilized routinely collected data on patients with conflict-related injuries who were admitted to EMC between October 16, 2016, and July 10, 2017. Data processing and analysis was carried out using JMP 13. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The analysis included 1725 patients, out of which 46% were civilian. Ordnance accounted for most injuries (68%), followed by firearms (18%) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) (14%). The proportion of IED-related injuries among combatants were almost three times that of civilians. The proportions of abdominal injuries, need for surgery, laparotomies, and amputations were significantly higher among civilians than among combatants. The mortality rate was 0.5%. DISCUSSION: The fact that civilians had greater surgical needs than combatants may be explained by several factors including a lack of ballistic protection. The extremely low mortality rate indicates significant gaps in prehospital care and transport. Our results may provide useful information to guide medical preparedness and response during future conflicts. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV ID: NCT03358758.