Antibiotic Treatment - What Can Be Learned from Point of Injury Experience?

This study evaluated how well-advanced life saver (ALS) providers complied with Israeli Defense Force (IDF) CPG. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all trauma patients between November 2011 and January 2015 was conducted. All casualties who suffered from penetrating injuries with evacuation times greater than 60 min were examined. Casualties who should have received antibiotic treatment in accordance with the IDF CPG were further divided into those who received antibiotics (i.e., "Antibiotic" group) and those who did not receive antibiotic treatment (i.e., "No Antibiotics" group). Results: For a 3-yr period, a total of 5,142 casualties occurred in the pre-hospital environment. According to parameters established in the CPG, 600 casualties should have received antibiotic treatment. Of these patients, only 49 (8.2%) received antibiotic treatment. Comparative analysis between these groups revealed no significant differences in regards to gender, age, and time to MTF; however, significant differences were found in regards to injury severity score (ISS) (p < 0.01), care under fire (i.e., treatment at a combat zone) criteria (p < 0.00001), and life-saving interventions (p < 0.005). Discussion: Although the reasons for poor adherence to IDF CPG's are not entirely clear, the data suggest that the severity of the injuries sustained by these casualties requiring a greater number of LSIs, longer evacuation distances, and a more hostile batt...
Source: Military Medicine - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Mil Med Source Type: research