@article{ref1,
title="Effects of land mines and unexploded ordnance on the pediatric population and comparison with adults in rural Cambodia",
journal="World journal of surgery",
year="2009",
author="Bendinelli, Cino",
volume="33",
number="5",
pages="1070-1074",
abstract="BACKGROUND: This paper was designed to evaluate and compare the impact of explosive war remnants on children versus adults in rural Cambodia. METHODS: A prospective review of trauma database from November 2003 to January 2006 of the Civilian War Victims Surgical Centre in Battambang, Cambodia, run by an Italian NGO called &quot;EMERGENCY&quot; was performed. Age, female ratio, time of evacuation, type of ordnance, pattern of injury, number of operations, transfused patients, hospitalization, mortality, and residual disability were registered and compared. RESULTS: A total of 356 patients acutely wounded by antipersonnel land mines, antitank land mines, or unexploded ordnances (UXO) were admitted. Among these, 94 (26.4%) were children (younger than aged 16 years). Females were more common among children than adults (31.9% vs. 11.8%); 61.7% of children were injured by UXO, whereas 72.1% of adults were victims of antipersonnel land mines. Antitank mines victims were uncommon in both groups. The majority of adults (49.2%) were injured to lower limbs, whereas 50% of children were injured to upper limbs, face, and torso. Random wounds, typical of an explosion in vicinity, were observed in 32.9% of children and 18.7% of adults. All differences were statistically significant (P < 0.005). Time of evacuation, number of operations, and hospitalization did not statistically differ among groups. Number of transfused patients (23% vs. 7.2%), mortality (6.3% vs. 1.5%), incidence of blindness (21.2% vs. 9.5%), and maimed upper limbs (23.3% vs. 8.8%) were significantly higher in children compared with adults (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Long after ceasefire, antitank mines, antipersonnel land mines, and UXO continue to injure and kill civilians. Children are commonly injured and sustain more severe injuries.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0364-2313",
doi="10.1007/s00268-009-9978-5",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00268-009-9978-5"
}