War Wounds Caused by Cluster Bombs - Nature and Results of Treatment

Extremities are the most often affected during the war (50-75%). War wounds are more severe and their treatment more complicated. The mistreatment of war wounds with fractures can lead to many complications where chronic osteitis is most serious and its treatment is very expensive and even uncertain. In order to prevent a wrong treatment we used one protocol, which is combination of the protocol of the International Committee of Read Cross (ICRC) and previously suggested our protocol for treatment of complicated open fractures. The series of civilian patients wounded by cluster bombs including patients wounded during the bombardment of the residential areas and Clinical Centre of Niš are shown. The nature of the wounds caused by cluster bombs is different from war wounds made by conventional arms. The main characteristic is higher percentage of amputation due to high rate of neurovascular damage. For fracture fixation Mitković external fixation system has been used routinely, primarily during the first operation. This well investigated system provides high success of fracture healing (all fractures healed) with no chronic infection. The system was used for solving of bone defect. For solving of soft tissue defects, the most often it was used rotator fasciocutan flap.