Platelet response to romiplostim amongst patients with newly diagnosed, persistent, and chronic immune thrombocytopenia in routine clinical practice in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Patient characteristics and platelet responses at romiplostim initiation according to the duration of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are poorly understood. Amongst romiplostim-exposed adults with ITP lasting ≥6 months during 2009-2018 in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, we examined characteristics at romiplostim initiation, romiplostim dosage, and durable platelet response (≥75% of measurements ≥50 × 109/L at 14-24 weeks) for subcohorts with newly diagnosed (duration <3 months), persistent (3-12 months), or chronic (>12 months) ITP initiating romiplostim. The 285 romiplostim initiators comprised 81 (28%) with newly diagnosed, 47 (16%) with persistent, and 157 (55%) with chronic ITP. More patients with newly diagnosed ITP than longer ITP duration, had low comorbidity levels, two or more prior ITP therapies, and previous bleeding requiring hospitalisation. The median romiplostim doses were similar across subcohorts. During treatment, median platelet counts were similar across subcohorts (75-76 × 109/L), and the durable platelet response was 64.6%, 52.9%, and 52.7% for newly diagnosed, persistent, and chronic ITP, respectively. After treatment cessation, the median platelet count was 138 × 109/L, 68 × 109/L, and 71 × 109/L, respectively. In conclusion, newly diagnosed patients, compared with romiplostim initiators with longer disease duration, had more severe ITP, higher frequency of durable platelet response, and higher median platelet count after cessation.

Risk and adverse clinical outcomes of thrombocytopenia among patients with solid tumors-a Danish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about thrombocytopenia among patients with solid tumors is scarce. We examined the risk of thrombocytopenia among patients with solid tumors and its association with adverse outcomes. METHODS: Using Danish health registries, we identified all patients with incident solid tumors from 2015-2018 (n = 52,380) and a platelet count measurement within 2 weeks prior to or on their cancer diagnosis date. The risk of thrombocytopenia was categorized as grades 0 (any platelet count × 109/L): <150; 1: <100; 2: <75; 3: <50; 4: <25, and 5: <10. To study the outcomes, each patient with thrombocytopenia was matched with up to five cancer patients without thrombocytopenia by age, sex, cancer type, and stage. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) of bleeding, transfusion, or death, adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: The 1-year risk of thrombocytopenia was 23%, increasing to 30% at 4 years. This risk was higher in patients receiving chemotherapy (43% at 1 year and 49% at 4 years). Overall, patients with thrombocytopenia had higher 30-days rates of bleeding (HR = 1.72 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.41-2.11]). Thrombocytopenia was also associated with an increased rate of transfusion, and death, but some of the risk estimates were imprecise. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of thrombocytopenia was substantial among patients with solid tumors and associated with adverse outcomes.

Controlling for Differential Regression-To-The-Mean via Propensity Scores: A Simulation Study.

Purpose: Regression-to-the-mean (RTM) is a statistical phenomenon that may occur in epidemiologic studies where inclusion in the study cohort is contingent upon experiencing a laboratory/clinical measurement beyond a defined threshold. When differential across treatment groups, RTM could bias the final study estimate. This poses substantial challenges in observational studies that index patients upon experiencing extreme laboratory or clinical values. Our objective was to investigate propensity score-based methods as a tool for mitigating this source of bias via simulation. Methods: We simulated a noninterventional comparative effectiveness study, comparing treatment with romiplostim to standard-of-care therapies for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a disease characterized by low platelet counts. Platelet counts were generated from normal distributions according to the underlying ITP severity, a strong confounder of treatment and outcome. Patients were assigned treatment probabilities based upon ITP severity, which created varied levels of differential and non-differential RTM. Treatments were compared via the difference in median platelet counts during 23 weeks of follow-up. We calculated four summary metrics of the platelet counts measured prior to cohort entry and built six propensity score models to adjust for those variables. We adjusted for these summary metrics using inverse probability of treatment weights. Results: Across all simulated scenarios, propensity score adjustment reduced bias and increased precision of the treatment effect estimator. Adjusting for combinations of the summary metrics was most effective at reducing bias. Adjusting for the mean of prior platelet counts or the difference between the cohort-qualifying platelet count and the largest prior count eliminated the most bias when assessed individually. Conclusion: These results suggest that differential RTM could be reasonably addressed by propensity score models with summaries of historical laboratory values. This approach can be easily applied to any comparative effectiveness or safety study, though investigators should carefully consider the best summary metric for their data.

Burn injuries in US service members: 2001-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Burns are an important cause of battlefield injury, accounting for 5-20% of the combat injury burden. To date, no report has examined the full range of burns, from mild to severe, resulting from post-9/11 conflicts. The present study leverages the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database (EMED), a Navy-maintained health database describing all service member medical encounters occurring during deployment, to capture, quantify and characterize burn-injured service members and the injuries they sustained while deployed in support of post-9/11 operations. METHODS: The EMED was queried for all surviving service members with at least one burn injury, identified using injury-specific Abbreviated Injury Scale codes. Demographic and additional injury information were also obtained from the EMED. RESULTS: From 2001 through 2018, 2507 deployed service members sustained 5551 burns. Blasts accounted for 82% of injuries, largely attributed to the use of improvised explosive devices. Concurrent injury was common, with 30% sustaining a traumatic brain injury and 10% sustaining inhalation injury. Most burns were small, with 92% involving< 20% TBSA; 85% of burns involved< 10% TBSA. The head and the hands were the most commonly affected areas, accounting for 48% of all burns, with 80% of service members sustaining at least one burn to these areas. CONCLUSION: The majority of burns tend to be small in size, with the head and hands most commonly affected. As these areas are often left uncovered by the uniform, prevention measures, particularly improvement in and increased usage of personal protective gear, may help reduce these injuries and their consequences.

Relationship Between Tinnitus and Hearing Outcomes Among US Military Personnel After Blast Injury.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between tinnitus and hearing outcomes among US military personnel after blast injury, including any hearing loss, low-frequency hearing loss, high-frequency hearing loss, early warning shift, and significant threshold shift. DESIGN: In this retrospective study, the Blast-Related Auditory Injury Database was queried for male military service members who had audiometric data 2 years before and after blast injury between 2004 and 2012 with no history of hearing loss or tinnitus before injury (n = 1693). Tinnitus was defined by diagnostic codes in electronic health records. Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between tinnitus and hearing outcomes, while adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Overall, 14.2% (n = 241) of the study sample was diagnosed with tinnitus within 2 years after blast injury. The proportions of all examined hearing outcomes were higher among service members with tinnitus than those without ( p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, service members with tinnitus had higher adjusted odds of any hearing loss (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-2.47), low-frequency hearing loss (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.80-4.26), high-frequency hearing loss (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.47-3.16), early warning shift (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.36-2.45), and significant threshold shift (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.60-2.89) compared with service members without tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrate that tinnitus diagnosed within 2 years after blast injury is associated with the examined hearing outcomes in US military personnel. Service members with blast injury who subsequently experience tinnitus should receive routine audiometric hearing conservation testing and be carefully examined for poor hearing outcomes by an audiologist.

Chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in pediatric oncology: Scope of the problem and opportunities for intervention.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) is a known hematologic complication of oncology treatment. This single-institution study examines the degree with which CIT impacts specific pediatric solid tumor cohorts reflected by platelet transfusion burden and treatment modifications. PROCEDURE: Data regarding clinically relevant CIT were obtained via a retrospective chart review of pediatric solid tumor patients treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 2013 to 2020. Patients were stratified based on histologic diagnoses as well as chemotherapy regimen. CIT impact was assessed through platelet transfusion means, chemotherapy dose reductions, and treatment delays. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were included with mean age 10.3 [0.2-21.0]. Patients receiving therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma and localized Ewing sarcoma, both of which included high-dose cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin, required the most platelet transfusions over the treatment course, with a mean of 13 and 9, respectively. Reduced relative dose intensity (RDI), due in part to CIT, was greatest for the patients receiving therapy for high-risk and intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma. Fifty-six percent of high-risk patients experienced a reduced RDI during the final two cycles of treatment and 69% of intermediate-risk patients experienced one during the final four cycles of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of CIT varied by the administered chemotherapy regimens and dose intensity of chemotherapy agents. This study demonstrated that CIT causes both marked platelet transfusion burden as well as treatment reduction and delay within certain solid tumor cohorts. This can lend to future studies aimed at reducing the burden of CIT and targeting the most at-risk populations.

The relationship between self-reported physical functioning, mental health, and quality of life in Service members after combat-related lower extremity amputation.

PURPOSE: Service members with amputations experience numerous challenges, yet few studies have examined patient-reported outcomes, including physical functional status, mental-health screening status, and quality of life (QOL) or the relationship between these outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Service members with combat-related lower extremity amputations (N = 82) and participants in the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project were included. Patient-reported outcomes of physical functional status, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression screening status, and QOL were compared, while accounting for amputation level. Linear regression assessed relationships between physical functional status and QOL, as well as mental-health screening status. RESULTS: Higher physical functioning scores were associated with better QOL, and lower physical functioning scores were associated with screening positive for PTSD or depression. When stratified by mental-health screening, a significant relationship was observed between mean physical functioning scores and amputation level with a negative PTSD or depression screen only. Additionally, those with bilateral amputation reported lower physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Physical functioning was associated with patient-reported outcomes, including QOL and mental-health screening. Screening positive for PTSD or depression was associated with worsened self-reported physical function and may outweigh the impact of amputation severity on physical functioning. Successful rehabilitation requires the integration of physical and mental health domains in order to achieve optimal functioning.Implications for rehabilitationThe current study shows that physical functioning in participants with combat-related amputation is related to the amputation level, quality of life, and mental-health symptom screening.Good mental health is crucial to optimal functioning, as presence of adverse mental-health symptoms may exacerbate physical functional limitations among those with combat-related amputations.Assessing variables related to adverse mental-health symptoms and ultimate physical functioning outcomes is critical for clinicians to optimize rehabilitative strategies and outcomes.

A Focus on Non-Amputation Combat Extremity Injury: 2001-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Extremity injuries have comprised the majority of battlefield injuries in modern U.S. conflicts since World War II. Most reports have focused on serious injuries only and, to date, no reports have described the full extent of combat extremity injuries, from mild to severe, resulting from post-9/11 conflicts. This study aims to identify and characterize the full spectrum of non-amputation combat-related extremity injury and extend the findings of previous reports. METHODS: The Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database was queried for all extremity injured service members (SMs) deployed in support of post-9/11 conflicts through July 2018. Only injuries incurred during combat operations were included in this report. Major amputations were excluded as well as SMs killed in action or who died of wounds. Extremity injuries were categorized by body region, nature of injury, and severity. Demographics and injury event characteristics are also presented. RESULTS: A total of 17,629 SMs sustained 42,740 extremity injuries during 18,004 separate injury events. The highest number of SMs were injured in 2004 (n = 3,553), 2007 (n = 2,244), and 2011 (n = 2,023). Injured SMs were mostly young (78% under 30 years), male (97%), junior- to mid-level enlisted (89%), in the Army (69%) or Marine Corps (28%), active duty (84%), serving as infantry and gun crew (59%), and injured in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (60%). Blast weaponry was responsible for 75% of extremity injuries. Injuries were similarly distributed between the lower (52%) and upper (48%) extremities. The most common sites of lower extremity injury were the lower leg/ankle complex (40%) and thigh (26%). The most common upper extremities sites were the shoulder and upper arms (37%), and the hand, wrist, and fingers (33%). Nearly half (48%) of all extremity injuries were open wounds (48%), followed by fractures (20%) and contusions/superficial injuries (16%). SMs sustained an average of 2.4 extremity injuries per event and 56% of injuries were considered mild, with a median Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 3. CONCLUSION: This study is the first publication to capture, review, and characterize the full range, from mild to severe, of non-amputation combat-related extremity injuries resulting from post-9/11 conflicts. The high prevalence of extremity injury, particularly in such a young population, and associated short- and long-term health outcomes, will impact military health care systems for decades to come.

Rapid Sequence Induction Strategies Among Critically Injured U.S. Military During the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid sequence intubation of patients experiencing traumatic hemorrhage represents a precarious phase of care, which can be marked by hemodynamic instability and pulseless arrest. Military combat trauma guidelines recommend reduced induction dose and early blood product resuscitation. Few studies have evaluated the role of induction dose and preintubation transfusion on hemodynamic outcomes. We compared rates of postintubation systolic blood pressure (SBP) of < 70 mm Hg, > 30% drop in SBP, pulseless arrest, and mortality at 24 hours and 30 days among patients who did and did not receive blood products before intubation and then examined if induction agent and dose influenced the same outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of battle-injured personnel presenting to surgical care facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2004 and 2018. Those who received blood transfusions, underwent intubation, and had an Injury Severity Score of ≥15 were included. Intubation for primary head, facial, or neck injury, burns, operative room intubations, or those with cardiopulmonary resuscitation in progress were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was performed with unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for the five study outcomes among patients who did and did not receive preintubation blood products. The same analysis was performed for patients who received full or excessive versus partial induction agent dose. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients had a mean age of 24.9 (SD 4.5), Injury Severity Score 29.7 (SD 11.2), heart rate 122.8 (SD 24), SBP 108.2 (SD 26.6). Eighty-one (53%) patients received preintubation blood products and had similar characteristics to those who did not receive transfusions. Adjusted multivariate analysis found odds ratios as follows: 30% SBP decrease 9.4 (95% CI 2.3-38.0), SBP < 70 13.0 (95% CI 3.3-51.6), pulseless arrest 18.5 (95% CI 1.2-279.3), 24-hour mortality 3.8 (95% CI 0.7-21.5), and 30-day mortality 1.3 (0.4-4.7). In analysis of induction agent choice and comparison of induction agent dose, no statistically significant benefit was seen. CONCLUSION: Within the context of this historical cohort, the early use of blood products conferred a statistically significant benefit in reducing postintubation hypotension and pulseless arrest among combat trauma victims exposed to traumatic hemorrhage. Induction agent choice and dose did not significantly influence the hemodynamic or mortality outcomes.

Low back pain, mental health symptoms, and quality of life among injured service members.

OBJECTIVE: Pain is a significant public health issue that may be particularly problematic among injured service members who are at high risk of chronic physical and mental health conditions. The goals of this study were to describe the prevalence and types of low back pain (acute vs. recurrent) among service members injured while on combat deployments, and to examine the differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression prevalence and severity, as well as quality of life, for individuals with low back pain compared with those without. METHOD: Baseline assessment data from a subset of participants (n = 4,397) in the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project, a large, longitudinal examination of patient-reported outcomes, were used in conjunction with Department of Defense medical records data. RESULTS: Almost half of participants had acute or recurrent low back pain diagnoses, and the majority of individuals had no diagnosis of low back pain prior to their deployment-related injury. Individuals with low back pain, particularly recurrent, screened positive for PTSD and depression at higher rates, reported more severe symptoms of these disorders, and demonstrated poorer quality of life than those without. CONCLUSIONS: Low back pain was a prevalent issue among service members with deployment-related injury and was associated with worsened mental health outcomes and quality of life. Health care providers and researchers in multiple disciplines should consider the complex relationships between pain and mental health in order to further optimize treatment and outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Incisional hernia incidence following laparotomy for combat trauma: Investigating 15 years of US war surgery.

BACKGROUND: While the incidence of incisional hernia (IH) following elective laparotomy has been well described, incidence following emergent laparotomy for combat trauma has been much less studied. This retrospective cohort investigates the latter to better describe the burden IH represents for the injured warfighter. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database for service members who survived a combat-related injury between January 2002 and December 2016 and underwent abdominal surgery in the first 30 days after injury. Incisional hernia diagnosis at least 30 days after injury was determined from inpatient and outpatient records in the Military Health System's Medical Data Repository.Means and SDs were reported for age and continuous Injury Severity Score, and frequency and percentages were reported for sex, branch of service, paygrade, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, and maximum abdominal Abbreviated Injury Scale. Service members with and without a hernia diagnosis were compared using t test for continuous variables and χ or Fisher exact test (depending on cell size) for categorical variables.Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine relationships between IH diagnosis and the covariates previously mentioned. Data analysis was completed using SAS software version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). RESULTS: Of the 570 laparotomy patients, 109 (19.1%) developed IH. Of these, 58 (53%) were diagnosed within the first year after injury. An additional 21 (19%) were diagnosed within the following year, and 30 (28%) were diagnosed more than 2 years after injury. Presence of gastrointestinal injury, Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 4 and 5, and 5-year increments of age were positively associated with hernia formation. CONCLUSION: The incidence of postlaparotomy IH in combat trauma is 19.1%, a considerable source of disability for injured warfighters. Further investigation into hernia-preventive closure strategies is warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level IV.

Clinical audiometric patterns of hearing loss following blast-related injury in U.S. military personnel.

Objective: To identify clinical audiometric patterns of hearing loss following blast-related injury (BRI) in US military personnel.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Study sample: A total of 1186 male Navy and Marine Corps service members with normal hearing thresholds on pre-injury audiograms who had post-injury audiograms in the Blast-Related Auditory Injury Database.Results: Low- and high-frequency pure-tone averages (PTAs) were significantly higher in those with BRI than non-blast-related injury (NBRI) for both ears (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Overall, 172 (15%) service members met criteria for post-injury hearing loss and were categorised into PTA or single-frequency hearing loss subgroups. PTA hearing loss was more common in the BRI group (50% vs. 33%, p < 0.036), whereas single-frequency hearing loss was more common in the NBRI group. Most hearing loss was mild to moderate in degree, and three distinct audiometric patterns emerged (i.e. flat, sloping and rising). A flat pattern was the most prevalent configuration among those with PTA hearing loss, especially bilateral loss. Single-frequency hearing loss was mostly unilateral and high frequency.Conclusions: In this study, BRI produced hearing loss across test frequencies, generating more clinically actionable post-injury audiograms than NBRI. We found that post-injury audiometric patterns of hearing loss among military personnel may vary.

Prominent Injury Types in Vehicle Underbody Blast.

BACKGROUND: To fully understand the injury mechanisms during an underbody blast (UBB) event with military vehicles and develop new testing standards specific to military vehicles, one must understand the injuries sustained by the occupants. METHODS: Injury data from Service Members (SM) involved in UBB theater events that occurred from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed. Analysis included the investigation of prominent skeletal and visceral torso injuries. Results were categorized by killed-in-action (n = 132 SM) and wounded-in-action (n = 1,887 SM). RESULTS: Over 90% (553/606 SM) of casualties in UBB events with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 2+ injury sustained at least one skeletal fracture, when excluding concussion. The most frequent skeletal injuries from UBB were foot fractures (13% of injuries) for wounded-in-action and tibia/fibula fractures (10% of injuries) for killed-in-action. Only 1% (11/1037 SM) of all casualties with AIS 2+ injuries had visceral torso injuries without also sustaining skeletal fractures. In these few casualties, the coded injuries were likely due to trauma from a loading path other than direct UBB loading. CONCLUSION: Skeletal fractures are the most frequent AIS 2+ injury resulting from UBB events. Visceral torso injuries are infrequent in individuals that survive and they generally occur in conjunction with skeletal injuries.

Self-reported Functional Status in US Service Members After Combat-Related Amputation.

The objective of this study was to describe the functional status of US service members after combat-related amputation. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from a subsample of the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project, an ongoing, web-based, longitudinal examination of patient-reported outcomes of injured service members. The study sample included 82 Wounded Warrior Recovery Project participants with a combat-related lower extremity amputation who reported using a prosthetic device and completed the Orthotics and Prosthetics Users' Survey Lower Extremity Functional Status, which measures self-reported functional status in participants with a prosthetic device. Basic activities, such as walking indoors, getting on and off the toilet, and getting up from a chair, were reported by the majority of participants as "very easy/easy," whereas higher-level activities, such as climbing stairs, walking long distances, or running, were more often reported as "slightly difficult/very difficult" or "cannot do this activity." Functional status varied significantly by amputation site (unilateral below knee, unilateral above knee, or bilateral; P = 0.004), with significantly better function reported in those with unilateral below knee than bilateral amputation (P < 0.05). These findings highlight deficits in the functional status of US service members with combat-related amputation. Self-reported functional status of daily activities may help target important activities for patient-centered goals.

Association of Specific Lower Extremity Injuries With Delayed Amputation.

INTRODUCTION: Despite medical interventions to preserve viability and functionality of injured limb(s) among combat-injured service members, delayed amputations may occur. The goal of this study was to determine whether specific lower extremity (LE) injuries were associated with delayed amputations. METHODS: The Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database was queried for combat-related LE injuries between 2003 and 2015. The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) was used to categorize LE injuries by severity. Injury episodes with a maximum LE AIS of 1 or amputation on the day of injury were excluded. The final sample included 2,996 service members with at least one LE injury with an AIS ≥2. The frequencies of specific LE fractures and nerve and vessel injuries were determined. Logistic regression with paired independent variables was performed to examine the impact of multiple LE injuries on the odds of delayed amputation. RESULTS: Delayed LE amputation was identified in 308 (10.3%) service members in the sample. The delayed and no amputation groups did not differ in age and service branch. The majority of injury episodes were blast-related and with an Injury Severity Score ≥9. The most frequent fractures were tibia (34.4%) and fibula (29.3%), but the highest rates of delayed amputation were in those with navicular (36.2%), talus (30.0%), or calcaneus (28.1%) fractures. Odds of amputation were highest among service members with the calcaneus fracture and LE nerve injury (odds ratio [OR]: 41.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 14.70, 118.55; p < 0.001), calcaneal fracture and LE vessel injury (OR: 17.99; 95% CI: 10.53, 30.74; p < 0.001), and calcaneus and tibia fractures (OR: 15.12; 95% CI: 9.54, 23.96; p < 0.001) combinations. CONCLUSIONS: Odds of delayed amputation increased substantially with specific injury combinations. These findings may guide clinical decision-making in the acute care period.

Preliminary study of hearing protection and non-impact, blast-induced concussion in US military personnel.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between hearing protection and non-impact, blast-induced concussion in US military personnel. RESEARCH DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A total of 501 US service members from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database with hearing protection status reported either 'worn' or 'not worn' were eligible for analysis. Clinical records were reviewed for concussion diagnoses. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were performed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Overall, 270 (53.9%) service members sustained non-impact, blast-induced concussion and 231 (46.1%) sustained other blast injuries. Only 39.6% (107 of 270) of service members with concussion wore hearing protection at the point of injury compared with 61.0% (141 of 231) of those with other injuries (p < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, service members wearing hearing protection had significantly lower odds of concussion compared with those not wearing hearing protection (odds ratio = 0.42, 95% confidence interval = 0.29-0.62). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this preliminary study is the first to demonstrate that hearing protection is associated with lower odds of non-impact, blast-induced concussion. The benefits of using hearing protection in terms of force readiness could be significant since many service members wounded in recent conflicts were diagnosed with concussion.

Major deployment-related amputations of lower and upper limbs, active and reserve components, U.S. Armed Forces, 2001-2017.

Major amputations of the lower and upper limbs are among the most life-altering and debilitating combat injuries. From 1 January 2001 through 31 October 2017, a total of 1,705 service members sustained major deployment-related lower and upper limb amputations. Lower limb amputations were far more common than upper limb amputations, with a total of 1,914 lower limb amputations, compared to 302 upper limb amputations. The greatest single-year number of amputations occurred in 2011, with a reported total of 273 service members who sustained 403 major limb amputations. The injured cohort mostly comprised non-Hispanic white male service members aged 21-29 years. Furthermore, the majority of the injured cohort included active component, mid-level or junior enlisted members of the Army or Marine Corps in combat-specific occupations. These findings reiterate and extend previous reports of the annual numbers, types, and anatomic locations of deployment-related limb amputations, along with the demographics and military characteristics of the injured cohort from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Health-related quality of life among US military personnel injured in combat: findings from the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the long-term, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of those wounded in combat during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. The present study described the overall HRQOL for a large group of US service members experiencing mild-to-severe combat-related injuries, and assessed the unique contribution of demographics, service- and injury-related characteristics, and mental health factors on long-term HRQOL. METHOD: The Wounded Warrior Recovery Project examines patient-reported outcomes in a cohort of US military personnel wounded in combat. Participants were identified from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database, a US Navy-maintained deployment health database, and invited to complete a web-based survey. At the time of this study, 3245 service members consented and completed the survey. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the unique contribution of each set of antecedents on HRQOL scores. RESULTS: HRQOL was uniquely associated with a number of demographics, and service- and injury-related characteristics. Nevertheless, screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (B = - .09; P < .001), depression (B = - .10; P < .001), or both as a set (B = - .19; P < .001) were the strongest predictors of lower long-term HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Postinjury HRQOL among service members wounded in combat was associated with service and injury experience, and demographic factors, but was most strongly linked with current mental health status. These findings underscore the significance of mental health issues long after injury. Further, findings reinforce that long-term mental health screening, services, and treatment are needed for those injured in combat.

Impact of Blast Injury on Hearing in a Screened Male Military Population.

Exposure to hazardous intensity levels of combat noise, such as blast, may compromise a person's ability to detect and recognize sounds and communicate effectively. There is little previous examination of the onset of hearing health outcomes following exposure to blast in representative samples of deployed US military personnel. Data from the prospective Blast-Related Auditory Injury Database were analyzed. We included only those participants with qualified hearing tests within a period of 12 months prior to, and following, injury (n = 1,574). After adjustment for relevant covariates and potential confounders, those who sustained a blast injury had significantly higher odds of postinjury hearing loss (odds ratio = 2.21; 95% confidence interval: 1.42, 3.44), low-frequency hearing loss (odds ratio = 1.95; 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 3.78), high-frequency hearing loss (odds ratio = 2.45; 95% confidence interval: 1.43, 4.20), and significant threshold shift compared with a group with non-blast-related injury. An estimated 49% of risk for hearing loss in these blast-injured, deployed military members could be attributed to the blast-related injury event. This study reinforced that it is imperative to identify at-risk populations for early intervention and prevention, as well as to consistently monitor the effects of blast injury on hearing outcomes.

Gender Differences in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among U.S. Navy Healthcare Personnel.

BACKGROUND: The role of women in the U.S. military has changed markedly over the course of 20th- and 21st-century conflicts. Although women frequently occupy healthcare positions in the military, little is known about gender differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within this occupational subgroup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 4275 (667 women and 3608 men) U.S. Navy healthcare personnel supporting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were identified from electronic deployment records. Data from Post-Deployment Health Assessments were abstracted to identify PTSD screen positives, and to adjust for self-reported combat exposure and other deployment experiences. RESULTS: The prevalence of PTSD screen positive in the sample was 8.2% (n = 351/4275). After adjusting for combat exposure, previous psychiatric history, and demographics, women had significantly higher odds of screening positive for PTSD than did men (odds ratio = 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.34-2.96). Interactions between gender and combat exposure, and between gender and previous psychiatric history were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies to examine gender differences in PTSD among military healthcare personnel. Future research should account for additional stressors, such as long work hours, disrupted sleep patterns, and number of casualties treated. As women are further integrated into military occupations that may lead to different exposures, knowledge of gender differences in the manifestation of PTSD is paramount for prevention and treatment purposes.