Epidemiology of fractures during a peacekeeping mission in northern Mali

Abstract

Introduction: In July 2014, a United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Mission for the Stabilization of Mali (MINUSMA) had started. Soldiers of this mission were frequently attacked and many of them are wounded. Togo's Level 2 hospital has been deployed in Kidal to provide emergency medical and surgical care to all wounded in the northern sector. The purpose of this work was to determine the epidemiological profile of the fractures presented by these wounded. Materials and methods: It was a continuous prospective study from January 2015 to December 2016, concerning patients who were admitted for a fracture and confirmed by a standard radiography. The parameters studied were the age of the wounded, the sex, the civil or military status, the etiology of the fracture, the seat of the bone lesions, the associated lesions and the type of opening according to the Gustilo-Anderson classification.Results: Two hundred and fifty patients (250) were admitted for fractures during this period. The etiology of fractures was dominated by firearms (27.2%) and traffic accidents (22.7%). Three hundred and two (302) fractures were reported from the 250 patients. They were in the lower limb in 145 cases (48%), upper limb in 130 cases (43.1%). Fractures were open in 216 cases (71.5%) and dominated by Gustilo-Anderson type III (69.4%).Conclusion: The fractures found during the peacekeeping missions are associated with other lesions that make their severities. The care of these wounded should be multidisciplinary. Otherwise, the military surgeon deployed in these missions must have many skills to optimize the results of this care.