THE INPATIENT EXPERIENCE OF A UNITED-STATES-ARMY COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL IN THE PERSIAN-GULF DURING NONCOMBAT AND COMBAT PERIODS

To identify the key factors that control the workload of a U.S. milita ry hospital during deployment, we studied all 574 admissions to the 46 th Combat Support Hospital (CSH) during its deployment during Operatio ns Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Date of admission, admission diagno sis, admitting service, length of hospitalization, disposition, nation ality, and sex for each admission were analyzed. The workload of the 4 6th CSH varied markedly during the different periods of its deployment . Three hundred seventy-eight (66%) of the 574 admissions occurred dur ing Operation Desert Shield, although admissions occurred at the great est rate during the short Ground War phase of Operation Desert Storm. Iraqis accounted for 82% of the admissions during the Ground War and 5 1% of the total Desert Storm admissions. The most important factors de termining the workload of the 46th CSH were the combat situation, effe ctiveness of the air-evacuation system, and the obligation to treat en emy soldiers and civilians.