Outcomes and Complications of Primary Closure of Wounds in the War Wounded Referred to a Hospital in Tehran in 2017

Background and Aim: In most studies, in the treatment of war wounds, debridement and delayed wound healing have been suggested and there has been no emphasis on initial wound closure. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes and complications of primary closure of wounds in war-wounded referred to a hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 102 war-wounded with initial wound closure transferred to a hospital in Tehran, Iran during the first six months of 2018 were studied. Information about wound characteristics in terms of wound formation factor, wound formation time to initial healing, wound length, repair complications and outcomes of initial closure were done. Results: 102 war-wounded were men with a mean age of 28.2±5.7 years. The most common cause of trauma was shotgun (fragment) in 39 patients (36.4%). The mean time interval to transfer to the district hospital was 5.5±1.3 days. The most common complication after initial closure in all injuries of different parts of the body was lower extremity ulcer of 55 patients (50.9%) with ecchymosis. There was no significant relationship between wound closure time and complications of healing. Conclusion: According to the results, when the wounds of war are not contaminated, the initial closure of the wound in the early hours will result in favorable healing and reduce complications among the wounded. However, it is necessary for military medicine officials to pay special attention to the management and appropriate measures in order to improve the medical care of war wounded.