Guidelines for Burn Care under Austere Conditions: Blast Injuries

Introduction Recent events, such as terrorist attacks in Boston, Madrid, and London, highlight the growing threat of explosions as a cause of mass casualty disasters. Several major burn disasters around the world have been caused by accidental explosions.1 During the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, explosions were the primary mechanism of injury (74% in one review).2 Furthermore, explosions were the leading cause of injury in burned combat casualties admitted to the U.S. Army Burn Center during these wars, who frequently manifested other consequences of blast injury.3 Thus, providers responding to burncare needs in austere environments should be familiar with the array of blast injuries which may accompany burns following an explosion.