Síndrome compartimental agudo en la baja de combate: una revisión narrativa / Acute compartment syndrome in combat casualties: a narrative review

Introducción: El síndrome compartimental agudo (SCA) es una complicación frecuente y potencialmente devastadora en las heridas de guerra que afectan a las extremidades, debido principalmente a las lesiones vasculares, óseas y de tejidos blandos frecuentemente asociadas, y a la dificultad para reevaluar a la baja durante su evacuación. El objetivo de esta revisión es analizar la evidencia científica disponible y actualizada sobre el manejo diagnóstico-terapéutico del SCA en la baja de combate.Material y métodos:Para la elaboración de este trabajo se ha realizado una búsqueda bibliográfica exhaustiva en las bases de datos: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Scielo y Latindex. Para la selección de artículos, se han establecido como criterios de inclusión que fueran realizados en entornos militares o sobre poblaciones de bajas de combate, escritos en castellano o inglés, y publicados durante los últimos quince años.Resultados y conclusiones:En el entorno operativo, el diagnóstico del SCA será fundamentalmente clínico y el tratamiento consistirá en una fasciotomía precoz y completa de todos los compartimentos del miembro afectado, ya que la fasciotomía tardía o incompleta se ha asociado con peores resultados y a un aumento de la morbimortalidad. La formación continuada en cirugía de guerra ha disminuido las tasas de fasciotomías de revisión. (AU)

Introduction: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a frequent and potentially devastating complication of extremity war wounds, mainly due to the frequently associated vascular, bone and soft tissue injuries, and the limit close monitoring during casualty evacuation. The objective of this review is to analyze the available and updated scientific evidence on the diagnostic-therapeutic management of ACS in combat casualty.Material and Methods:For the preparation of this work, an exhaustive bibliographic search was carried out in the databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Scielo and Latindex. For the selection of articles, inclusion criteria have been established: carried out in military environments or on combat casualties populations, written in Spanish or English, and published during the last fifteen years.Results and Conclusions:In the combat zone, the diagnosis is even more heavily weighted toward clinical evaluation and the treatment will consist of a prompt and complete fasciotomy of all compartments of the affected limb, inasmuch as delayed or incomplete fasciotomy has been associated with worse outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality. Pre-deployment training of surgeons has decreased the rate of revision fasciotomies. (AU)

Use of tranexamic acid in combat casualties. Experience of the Spanish medical corps. Clinical series and literature review. / Empleo de ácido tranexámico en el herido de combate, experiencia de la sanidad militar española. Serie de casos y revisión de la literatura.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experience with tranexamic acid (TXA) during the care of combat causalities treated in the Spanish military hospital based in Herat (Afghanistan) and to perform an analysis of the literature related to the military setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With the approval of the appropriate military institutions, an analysis was performed on the use of TXA in combat casualties treated between March and May 2014. Of the 745 patients seen, 10 were due to a firearm/explosive device (combat casualties). A descriptive analysis was performed on the data collected. Absolute and relative frequencies (%) were used for the categorical variables. For central tendency measurements, the arithmetic mean and standard deviation or the median and interquartile range was calculated. The data were obtained from the military records of patients treated in the Herat military hospital. RESULTS: All the patients in this series received TXA within the first 3 hours after the attack. The most frequent dose used was one gram i.v, with bleeding was controlled in 100% of cases. All the patients survived and none of them had secondary effects. These data agree with that recommended in the combat casualties treatment guide followed by military health in other countries in this setting. CONCLUSION: All combat casualties were treated with TXA within the first 3 hours. The most frequent dose used was one gram iv and bleeding was controlled in all cases. All the patients survived with no adverse effects being observed.