Prevention of Combat-Related Infections: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Context: Combat-related injuries remain prevalent on the battlefield despite advances in personal protective armor. Infections following these injuries pose a significant concern. Evidence Acquisition: We used a combination of keywords, including "combat" OR "military", "wound" OR "injury", "infection," and "prevention", to identify relevant articles from major databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus. Results: Infection risk correlates with the extent and location of the injury. Severe open fractures and penetrating abdominal injuries carry a higher risk of infection than abrasions, blunt traumas, burns, or closed injuries, which are often infection-free. Combat-related infections can manifest early or late, with late-onset infections having a greater likelihood of multidrug resistance. Penetrating abdominal injuries are particularly susceptible to infection due to rapid bacterial colonization in the wounded area and the potential presence of drug-resistant gut microbiota pathogens. Aggressive surgical debridement, along with thorough irrigation and appropriate dressing, proves effective in infection prevention. The timely administration of prophylactic antibiotics is of utmost importance, with continued antibiotic prophylaxis in cases of delayed evacuation. Conclusions: This review provides a concise summary of current literature on combat-related injury management, emphasizing infection prevention and control strategies.