@article{ref1,
title="High velocity penetrating head and neck injuries of Syrian civil war casualties treated in the Galilee Medical Center",
journal="Harefuah",
year="2017",
author="Ronen, Ohad and Assadi, Nidal and Sela, Eyal",
volume="156",
number="5",
pages="315-317",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: For two years the State of Israel has been treating casualties from the Syrian civil war. The Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya is the main hospital for this humanitarian mission. <br><br>OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of the casualties that were treated in our department. <br><br>METHODS: Information from medical records of all Syrian casualties evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center were evaluated. <br><br>RESULTS: Between March 2013 and December 2014, 450 casualties were evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center. Of those, 45 were treated in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. Of the 45 cases, 43 were male (95.5%) and the mean age was 30.4 years (range 1-79 years). There was a significant difference in terms of gender (p <0.0001). The majority of cases (42.1%) were aged 21-27 years. The most common cause of injury was a gunshot wound. Thirty five patients (77.7%) suffered from multiple trauma, and complex injuries of the maxillofacial bones and upper respiratory tract. Eight (18%) of the cases arrived at the medical center with a tracheotomy. The average length of hospital stay was 15 days (range: 1-141). Of the 450 cases, 97.3% were discharged back to Syria, and 12 died. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Of all Syrian injured treated in the ENT department, the vast majority were young men. The main cause of injury was gunshot wounds. <br><br>DISCUSSION: It is likely that the lack of protective gear that exist in western armies is a factor in the complex injuries treated at the Galilee Medical Center.<p /> <p>Language: he</p>",
language="he",
issn="0017-7768",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}