Management of Fracture-Related Infection in Conflict Zones: Lessons Learned from Medical Missions to Gaza
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Results
3. Discussion
3.1. Mechanisms of FRI in Conflict Zones
3.2. Risk Factors for Developing FRI in Conflict Zones
3.3. Recommended Practices for Preventing and/or Treating FRI in Conflict Zones
3.4. Study Limitations
4. Methods
4.1. Study Design
4.2. Study Setting
4.3. Data Analysis
4.4. Ethics
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Demographic Data | N | % |
---|---|---|
Age | ||
Less than 20 | 24 | 17.8 |
20 to 40 | 70 | 51.9 |
Greater than 40 | 28 | 20.7 |
Unspecified | 13 | 9.6 |
Sex | ||
Male | 113 | 83.7 |
Female | 22 | 16.3 |
Injury Classification | N | % |
---|---|---|
Mechanism of Injury | ||
Explosive Injury | 68 | 50.4 |
Gunshot | 18 | 13.3 |
Road-Traffic Accident | 3 | 2.2 |
Unspecified | 46 | 34.1 |
Anatomical Distribution | ||
Shoulder | 6 | 4.3 |
Humerus | 29 | 20.9 |
Forearm | 30 | 21.6 |
Hand | 11 | 7.9 |
Femur | 23 | 16.5 |
Tibia | 29 | 20.9 |
Pelvis | 4 | 2.9 |
Foot and Ankle | 7 | 5.0 |
Fracture Related Infection | N | % |
---|---|---|
Fracture Classification | ||
Open Fracture | 21 | 15.6 |
Multiple Bone Involvement | 24 | 17.8 |
Patients with Suspected FRI | 41 | 29.9 |
Infection Patients | ||
Malunion/Nonunion | 22 | 53.6 |
Clinically Suggestive | 17 | 41.5 |
Both | 2 | 4.9 |
Anatomical Distribution | ||
Shoulder | 1 | 2.4 |
Humerus | 8 | 19.0 |
Forearm | 10 | 23.8 |
Hand | 3 | 7.1 |
Femur | 10 | 23.8 |
Tibia | 9 | 21.4 |
Pelvis | 0 | 0.0 |
Foot and Ankle | 1 | 2.4 |
No. | Recommendation |
---|---|
1 | Administration of prophylactic perioperative and intraoperative intravenous antibiotics such as Cefazolin |
2 | The use of gentamicin- or vancomycin- loaded bone cements in orthopedic surgeries which the Gaza healthcare system completely ran out of. Doctors on missions have tried to provide some with them, but with the restrictions on the entry of international emergency medical team members and medical aid, they are no longer available there |
3 | The application of intrawound vancomycin powder with or without stem cell therapy. Hospitals in Gaza have run out of these options |
4 | Repeat debridement and coverage of soft tissue, and regular change of dressing for infected wounds, and the drainage of pus collection (abscess) either under a local or general anesthetic, along with taking a wound culture swab for pus culture and sensitivity test. Gaza hospitals have been running out of basic components such as petri dishes, flasks, antibiotic solutions and others |
5 | Use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics either intravenously or orally such as Amoxicillin with Clavulanic Acid. Medical workers in Gaza have been prescribing these antibiotics as available for all patients postoperatively due to the low sterility of instruments and the field utilized for deep wounds closure |
6 | Availability of common and broad-spectrum antibiotics which have been sacred in Gaza |
7 | Use of disposable, sterile, surgical gowns and drapes which are currently completely non-existent in Gaza. Staff at Nasser Medical Complex, largest semi-functioning hospital in Gaza currently, located in Khan Younis, are forced to re-sterilize disposable gowns for surgeries |
8 | Single use of pins, screws, plates, orthopedic implants and external fixation devices although doctors in the strip have been forced to re-sterilize orthopedic implants and Ex-Fixes for patients which has increased their chances of catching an infection |
9 | Routine cleaning of the operating theater through damp dusting, and following disinfection and sterilization protocols especially for infected cases. It has been challenging to apply these standard protocols in Gaza because of the limited numbers of operating rooms relative to the number of patients in need of surgeries in addition to the shortage of disinfectants. This has led to the appearance of flies inside the operating rooms at close proximity to patients |
10 | Double gloving of scrubbed surgeons and nurses which has been challenging in Gaza with the limited availability of sterile gloves |
11 | Conduct regular research for the effectiveness of used available antibiotics and expected patterns of types of bacteria conducting a series of culture data which has been difficult to access due to the lack of a centralized electronic database in Gaza. This emphasizes the importance of the data collected and used for this research amidst the paucity of such data from hospitals in the Strip |
12 | Set up specialized wound care clinics at a close distance to populations for follow-up care and change of dressings procedures for prevention of infections, prompt responsiveness to wound infections, and alertness for early signs of osteomyelitis |
13 | Provide clean living environments which have been completely strenuous with the poor waste management, untreated sewage in the grounds and in hospitals, and low availability of cleaning and hygiene supplies. Patients in Gaza have started growing live maggots in their wounds as a result of this. People in Gaza have been more prone to rodent/animal bites and scrapes scratches due to displacing populations to Al Mawasi- sandy or coastal areas |
14 | Improve immune systems of patients through providing consistent nutritious meals, clean water and stress management. These have all been difficult to achieve in the setting of a warzone with the limitation of availability of food items and safe drinking water which furthers the chances of post-surgical complications and risks of infections |
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Nasser, E.; Alshaer, N.; Wajahath, M.; Irfan, B.; Tahir, M.; Nasser, M.; Saleh, K.J. Management of Fracture-Related Infection in Conflict Zones: Lessons Learned from Medical Missions to Gaza. Antibiotics 2024, 13, 1020. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13111020
Nasser E, Alshaer N, Wajahath M, Irfan B, Tahir M, Nasser M, Saleh KJ. Management of Fracture-Related Infection in Conflict Zones: Lessons Learned from Medical Missions to Gaza. Antibiotics. 2024; 13(11):1020. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13111020
Chicago/Turabian StyleNasser, Elias, Nour Alshaer, Muaaz Wajahath, Bilal Irfan, Mohammed Tahir, Mosab Nasser, and Khaled J. Saleh. 2024. "Management of Fracture-Related Infection in Conflict Zones: Lessons Learned from Medical Missions to Gaza" Antibiotics 13, no. 11: 1020. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13111020
APA StyleNasser, E., Alshaer, N., Wajahath, M., Irfan, B., Tahir, M., Nasser, M., & Saleh, K. J. (2024). Management of Fracture-Related Infection in Conflict Zones: Lessons Learned from Medical Missions to Gaza. Antibiotics, 13(11), 1020. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13111020