Dealing With Burn Patients in War Zones.

OBJECTIVE: Treating burn patients in the battlefield is one of the biggest challenges that military doctors and medical personnel can face. Wound patterns have been changed over time due to the introduction of new weapons, and many different aspects play a major role in the management of those burns nowadays. There is a potential gap in care of burn patients in war zones. METHODS: A thorough literature search in PubMed, scientific journals, and Internet sites was conducted in regard to burn patients and trauma in war zones. RESULTS: It is crucial for military surgeons to be able to stabilize burn patients during wartime conflicts, especially those patients who suffer from extreme burn injuries, as specialized treatment should be given. Medical personnel should be aware of all medication types used, the ways to minimize the risk of bacterial infection, and the ways to keep the injured safe. CONCLUSIONS: Injured civilians with burn trauma in the field of battle are deserving care, and special recognition should be given to the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that strive to ease human suffering in war zones. Proper management of burn patients in war zones is crucial, and military medical staff and NGOs can play a key role in that purpose.

Changes in the incidence of breast cancer due to the use of radioactive materials for warfare or nuclear and environmental accidents over the last 60 years in Europe and Asia.

This article investigates the possibility and the extent of breast cancer rates being higher in European and Asian countries that have been damaged by warfare or nuclear accidents and the use of chemical weapons in relation to the rest of the countries in those two continents. After a literature review, although there are gaps in the local reports of the responsible bodies as well as many economic, geopolitical, cultural and time constraints, the rates of breast cancer incidence and mortality of the citizens of those areas are significant and have been increasing over time, especially in people of older ages, who were exposed to various disease factors at each specific period of time.

Radiological Risks From Potential Exposure of the Population to Radiation From Orphan Radioactive Sources.

People in their everyday lives are exposed to radiation. Natural radiation is emitted from space, subsoil, and various materials which contain radioactive materials. Humans are also exposed to radiation from medical and industrial applications that use radioactive sources with artificial radioactive materials. Such radioactive sources may nevertheless get out of the control system and become orphan sources. Because these radiation sources are usually contained within metal shields such as lead and iron, the shields can end up as scrap metal being used in the metallurgical industry as raw material. Incidents have been recorded around the world, and several are reported in the literature and described here, where orphan sources have caused direct radiation exposure and/or environmental and personal contamination when the sources leaked. Timely and prompt recognition of an orphan radioactive source or device is crucial in order to minimize the radiological risk and its implications for the general population.