TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Combat injury profile in urban warfare
JO  - Military medicine
A1  - Satanovsky, Alexandra
A1  - Gilor, Yuval
A1  - Benov, Avi
A1  - Chen, Jacob
A1  - Shlaifer, Amir
A1  - Talmy, Tomer
A1  - Radomislensky, Irina
A1  - Siman-Tov, Maya
A1  - Peleg, Kobi
A1  - Weil, Yoram A.
A1  - Eisenkraft, Arik
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Combat ground maneuvers consist of various platforms and have several environmental characteristics, influenced by the terrain, the operational mission, and the force's capabilities. This study assesses data on injuries sustained during urban warfare, aiming to evaluate the relationship between injury characteristics, maneuver platform, and personal protective gear on the battlefield. <br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: IDF soldiers injured infantry soldiers from the "Cast Lead" and the "Protective Edge" operations in the Gaza Strip (2008-2009 and 2014, respectively) were divided into four groups according to the maneuver platform and the environment: mounted infantry (armored and unarmored vehicle) and dismounted infantry (urban and open area). The primary outcome was the severity of the injury, and the secondary outcome was the injured body part. <br><br>RESULTS: Overall, 588 casualties were included in the final analysis, of whom 507 were dismounted infantry soldiers (265 in open terrain and 242 in urban area) and 81 were mounted infantry soldiers (20 in unarmored and 61 were injured in armored vehicles). The Injury Severity Score was similar in all subgroups. Open terrain subgroups were found to have fewer head injuries and higher levels of lower extremity injuries, similar to the unarmored vehicle group. More facial injuries were documented in the urban area group. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The Injury Severity Score was not influenced by environmental protection. Although we found differences in the injured body parts, further studies on the exact mechanism of injury are needed to elucidate further the relationship and differences between the various platforms used and injuries seen in urban warfare, aiming for tailor-made protection.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0026-4075
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usac366
ID  - ref1
ER  -