Short-term physical and mental health outcomes for combat amputee and nonamputee extremity injury patients.

Objectives: The present study: (1) reports the early physical health complications, mental health outcomes, and outpatient health care utilization of patients with serious extremity injuries sustained during the Iraq or Afghanistan wars and (2) compares clinical outcomes between amputee and nonamputee extremity injury groups.

Method: This was a retrospective review of clinical records in military health databases for patients injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Health outcomes of amputee (n = 382, injured 2001-2005) and nonamputee patients (n = 274, injured 2001-2007) with serious extremity injuries (abbreviated injury score ≥ 3) were followed up to 24 months post injury.

Heterotopic ossification in combat amputees from Afghanistan and Iraq wars: five case histories and results from a small series of patients.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is excess bone growth in soft tissues that frequently occurs in the residual limbs of combat amputees injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, or Iraq and Afghanistan wars, respectively. HO can interfere with prosthetic use and walking and delay patient rehabilitation. This article describes symptomatic and/or radiographic evidence of HO in a patient series of combat amputees rehabilitating at a military amputee care clinic (27 patients/33 limbs).

Predeployment and in-theater diagnoses of American military personnel serving in Iraq.

Objective: This purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and types of preexisting mental disorders among military personnel who received mental health services in an Iraqi war zone.

Methods: The study examined psychiatric histories of 1,078 American military personnel (Marines, 65%; Army, 23%; Navy, 11%; and Air Force, <1%) deployed to Iraq and seen by in-theater mental health providers between January 2006 and February 2007.

Results: Among the 1,078 patients, the most frequent in-theater diagnoses were anxiety (24%), adjustment (23%), and mood (19%) disorders.

Midterm health and personnel outcomes of recent combat amputees.

Objective: Warfighters who sustained combat amputations in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) have unique challenges during rehabilitation. This study followed their outcomes.

Methods: Subjects were 382 U.

Determining medical staffing requirements for humanitarian assistance missions.

Objective: The primary mission of hospital ships is to provide acute medical and surgical services to U.S. forces during military operations.

The Navy-Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry.

The U.S. military services, drawing on the experiences of civilian trauma systems in monitoring trauma care delivery, have begun to implement their own registries, emphasizing injury incidence and severity in a combat environment.

Identifying clinical supply requirements for Marine Corps dental capability.

The Naval Health Research Center developed and used a systematic process to review Marine Corps dental supply requirements. The approach (1) identified the dental procedures required to treat patients with dental conditions and (2) determined the consumable supplies and equipment needed to complete each procedure. By establishing the clinical requirement for each item pushed forward, the Naval Health Research Center model significantly reduced weight, cubic volume, and cost while enhancing far-forward dental capability.