TREATMENT OF WOUNDED IN THE COMBAT ZONE

Authors presented their own experiences in treating 735 wounded in hig h-intensity combat zones in the territories of former Yugoslavia durin g 1991 to 1992, The mobile field hospital with surgical crews was situ ated 5 to 10 km from the front line, and its basic task had been conti nuous triage, immediate resuscitation with vital surgical aid, as well as organization of adequate primary and secondary air evacuation, At the field hospital level, fresh mounds were explored according to prin ciples of war surgery, and major surgical interventions were performed in 3.3% of the wounded, Patients with massive hematothorax were treat ed with autotransfusion, Mortality at this primary level, field hospit al was 0.75% with primary immediate resuscitation and 1.9% with immedi ate evacuation, We concluded that immediate resuscitation with delayed transport had advantages, compared with fast evacuation of only the w ounded.