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Damage Control Surgery in the Blast-Injured Patient

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Managing Dismounted Complex Blast Injuries in Military & Civilian Settings

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Abstract

The hallmark dismounted complex blast injury pattern includes multiple amputated or mangled extremities, large perineal and/or pelvic wounds, penetrating truncal injuries, and pelvic fracture. This chapter describes the damage control approach to patients injured by blast or explosive mechanisms and outlines key surgical concepts and lessons learned from the recent high-volume military experiences. A rapid, focused, and team-based approach to the diagnostic workup, resuscitation, and operative intervention is outlined.

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Conflicts of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare and have received no financial or material support related to this manuscript.

Disclaimer

The results and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions or official policy of the United States Navy, United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any other governmental agency.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA, USA

    Travis M. Polk

  2. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Matthew J. Martin

  3. Trauma and Emergency Surgery Service, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA

    Ronald R. Barbosa

Authors
  1. Travis M. Polk
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  2. Matthew J. Martin
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  3. Ronald R. Barbosa
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Correspondence to Travis M. Polk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California, USA

    Joseph M. Galante

  2. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington, USA

    Matthew J. Martin

  3. Department of Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Carlos J. Rodriguez

  4. Department of Orthopaedics, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Wade Travis Gordon

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Polk, T.M., Martin, M.J., Barbosa, R.R. (2018). Damage Control Surgery in the Blast-Injured Patient. In: Galante, J., Martin, M., Rodriguez, C., Gordon, W. (eds) Managing Dismounted Complex Blast Injuries in Military & Civilian Settings. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74672-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74672-2_6

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