Posttraumatic survivor guilt is associated with white matter microstructure alterations.

Background: Military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly experience posttraumatic guilt. Guilt over commission or omission evolves when responsibility is assumed for an unfortunate outcome (e.g.

[Microbiological challenges in the treatment of war injuries].

The treatment of war injuries represents a continuing and recurrent challenge in modern reconstructive surgery. Previously, tumor resections and sepsis-related resections were mainly responsible for lengthy bone defects in Germany. In recent years another picture has increasingly emerged, particularly caused by the medical support of Ukraine.

[Initial in-hospital treatment of patients with penetrating trauma due to violence and war].

Background: Current political and social developments have brought the topics of violence, in this context attributable to terrorism and sabotage, and since February 2022 awareness of war in particular has again greatly increased. This article aims to present the contextualized dealing with penetrating injuries in terms of initial in-hospital treatment.

Objective: The question remains to be answered as to what extent penetrating injuries require special attention and to what extent the treatment priorities, options and strategies as well as surgical treatment require adaptation of the usual approach in routine clinical practice in Germany.

Characteristics of injuries during the 2006 Lebanon conflict: a three-center retrospective study of survivors, 16 years after the conflict.

Background: Armed conflict injury is a growing public health concern, particularly in regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The protracted conflicts and political unrest in this region have led to a substantial number of injuries. Despite this, there is still limited understanding of the specific injury patterns stemming from conflicts, such as the 2006 Lebanon conflict.

[National challenges for trauma surgery in Germany due to violence and war].

Due to the war in Ukraine and the treatment of patients with war wounds in the hospitals of the TraumaNetworks of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (TraumaNetzwerke DGU®), injuries from life-threatening mission situations (LebEL), terrorism, violence and war have become a matter of daily professional life. Furthermore, the societal and global feeling of security has fundamentally changed. The much-cited term "turning point in history", the reorientation of the Armed Forces and the investigation of the resilience of the healthcare system with respect to the "fitness for war", approximate to the description of the current challenges for trauma surgery (UCH) in Germany.

[Challenge of limb care after violence and war with a special focus on imaging procedures].

Background: Injury patterns in the area of the extremities following violence and war harbor many special features and require special attention. Destructive and complex defect injuries are often present, which necessitate elaborate and special reconstruction approaches, predominantly as part of a staged and multistaged procedure.

Research Question: In this context, special attention must be paid to the diagnostic options as an essential aspect, as a clear diagnosis means that targeted treatment steps can be planned and implemented.

Stroke Incidence in Patients With Hypertension According to Cardiorespiratory Fitness.

Background: Hypertension and physical inactivity are risk factors for stroke. The effect of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on stroke risk in patients with hypertension has not been assessed. We evaluated stroke incidence in patients with hypertension according to CRF and changes in CRF.

Combat-related peripheral nerve injuries.

Active-duty service members (ADSM) and military Veterans represent a population with increased occupational risk for nerve injuries sustained both during training operations and wartime. Mechanisms of war-related nerve injuries have evolved over time, from the musket ball-related traumas described by S.W.

Family Physician's Satisfaction Report: Military 2021 vs. Civilian 2020 and 2022.

Introduction: In the Medscape 2020 Compensation Report, family physicians ranked low for feeling fairly compensated, choosing their specialty again and choosing medicine again. However, the Medscape data may not represent military family physicians.

Methods: A large survey was emailed to 2,562 military family physicians via a military professional organization list-serve from February to April 2021.

Preliminary Evidence for the Role of Fungi, Specifically Chaetomium, in Gulf War Illness.

Introduction: For veterans of the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), dozens of possible causes for their illness have been proposed. We hypothesize that all may be correct. These may have weakened the immunity of the military personnel to fungal pathogens in the soil.

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Late Posttraumatic Seizures in Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injury.

Introduction: Post-traumatic seizures (PTSs) contribute to morbidity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Early PTS are rare in combat casualties sustaining TBI, but the prevalence of late PTS is poorly described. We sought to define the prevalence and risk factors of late PTS in combat casualties with computed tomography evidence of TBI.

Surgical frontiers in war zones: perspectives and challenges of a humanitarian surgeon in conflict environments.

This opinion article delves into the complexities of surgical care in conflict zones, highlighting the challenges and ethical considerations faced by humanitarian surgeons. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration with local healthcare professionals and specialized training programs in preparing surgeons for the unique demands of conflict trauma and war surgery.

Exercise does not cause post-exertional malaise in Veterans with Gulf War Illness: A randomized, controlled, dose-response, crossover study.

Unlabelled: Chronic multisymptom illnesses (CMI) such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long-COVID, and Gulf War Illness (GWI) are associated with an elevated risk of post-exertional malaise (PEM), an acute exacerbation of symptoms and other related outcomes following exercise. These individuals may benefit from personalized exercise prescriptions which prioritize risk minimization, necessitating a better understanding of dose-response effects of exercise intensity on PEM.

Methods: Veterans with GWI (n = 40) completed a randomized controlled crossover experiment comparing 20 min of seated rest to light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity cycling conditions over four separate study visits.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Veterans With Gulf War Illness Evaluated at VA's War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center.

Introduction: Excess rates of Gulf War illness (GWI) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), two chronic multisymptom illnesses, have long been documented among nearly 700,000 veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. We sought to report the prevalence, characteristics, and association of GWI and IBS decades after the war in a clinical cohort of deployed Gulf War veterans (GWVs) who were evaluated at the Department of Veterans Affairs' War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) for unexplained chronic symptoms.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed data gathered from clinical intake questionnaires of deployed GWVs who were evaluated at WRIISC clinics between 2008 and 2020.

Barriers and Facilitators to Administering Burn Pit Registry Exams in VHA Facilities.

Introduction: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) in 2014 to address exposure concerns for veterans who have served in military operations in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. By 2021, over 236,086 veterans completed the online questionnaire and 60% requested an AHOBPR examination. Of those requesting an exam, only 12% had an exam recorded in their medical record.