Head, Face, and Neck Injuries During Operation Iraqi Freedom II: Results From the US Navy and Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry

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Head, Face, and Neck Injuries During Operation Iraqi Freedom II: Results From the US Navy and Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry

A. L. Wade / J. L. Dye / C. R. Mohrle / M. R. Galarneau

A retrospective analysis was performed to assess characteristics of head, face, and neck injury among US military casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom Phase Two. Data were collected from the US Navy and Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry for the time period of 1 March to 30 September 2004. Four hundred and forty-five casualties with head, face, or neck injury were identified for analysis. Of these, 140 (31%) sustained multiple wounds to the head, face, and neck; 177(40%) had head wounds; 336(76%) had facial wounds; and 84(19%) had neck wounds. Head, face, and neck wounds accounted for 61% of the total 1,666 injuries incurred. Improvised explosive devices were the most frequent cause of injury among battle casualties, whereas motor vehicle accidents were the most common cause of injury among nonbattle casualties. The overall mean abbreviated injury severity scores for head, face, and neck injuries were 2.1,1.1, and 1.2, respectively. Although the majority of casualties incurred wounds to the face, head and neck injuries were generally more severe, especially among those who died of wounds. The high frequency of facial wounding suggests, however, that the face may be more vulnerable during armed conflict than the head or neck.