Video: Evacuation of wounded helicopters from the Gaza Strip/IDF Spokesperson
Many injuries to those injured on October 7, as well as to soldiers injured during the fighting in Gaza, are characterized by infections that can sometimes be life-threatening. Thus, when a wounded person is admitted to the emergency room for treatment, he is also assigned a professional team whose job is to detect infections and treat them in real time, in parallel with the main medical treatment the soldier receives due to his injury.
"An orderly national record of all the injuries sustained by soldiers in Gaza and a summary of all the infections discovered have not yet been published," saysProf. Eyal Leshem, an infectious disease expert at Sheba, "but among the wounded who came to us on October 7, a number of serious infections were identified. Because of the nature of the terrible incident that took place there, wounded people with burns and other injuries fled their homes and were forced to hide, sometimes for many hours, outside, in open areas that were far from sterile. Being in the open for a long time probably led to the fact that among these wounded we encountered particularly complex infections.
"Some of the injured were hospitalized with tourniquets that were left on for a long time, probably because they could not be evacuated quickly for treatment. In such cases, even if the arm or leg recovers, severe damage of necrosis may occur, as a result of lack of blood and oxygen supply to the organ."
"Some of the injured were hospitalized with tourniquets that were left for a long time, probably because they could not be evacuated quickly for treatment, and in many cases the tourniquets were placed during battle, under fire. In such cases, even if the arm or leg recovers, severe damage of necrosis may occur, as a result of the lack of blood and oxygen supply to the organ. Our battle, the doctors, over the hand or the leg becomes more complex in such situations."
And what about the wounded who come from Gaza, when it comes to infections?
"We are in the middle of the event, and at this stage it is still difficult to give precise figures. Some ground combat wounded are hospitalized with complex infections. The fighting zone in Gaza is polluted, the fighting is between buildings, some of which are destroyed, sewage flows everywhere, harsh conditions. At Sheba, as well as in other hospitals, there is a dedicated professional team of infectious disease experts who work closely with trauma doctors to treat these infections in the best possible way. The soldiers are usually young and healthy and in good shape, so we have many successes through surgical treatment and antibiotic treatment."
"They manage to save seriously injured people who in the past would not have survived." Evacuation of airborne wounded from Gaza/IDF Spokesperson
Is there anything different this time about your treatment compared to what happened in previous wars or operations?
"My clinical impression and that of my friends is that this time, unlike in the past, wounded people are evacuated faster from the field for medical treatment at the hospital. Because of this, today we are able to save seriously injured people who in the past would not have survived. In trauma injuries, there is a concept called the Golden Hour. If a person is injured in an accident, shooting or explosion and within an hour he is on a bed in the emergency room with a CT and an operating room, the chance of saving his life increases significantly.
"In previous combat incidents, it was very difficult to evacuate the wounded from the scene to the emergency room in such a short time. Today it happens much faster. In this regard, we must commend the courage of the fighters, pilots and rescue and medical forces responsible for the evacuation from the area."
Prof. Leshem also notes that many soldiers in combat zones report three main problems: "There are quite a few cases of diarrhea, stemming from the poor hygiene conditions in the combat zone. Military officials are familiar with the problem and are working on improving the situation.
"In addition, cases of Leishmania infection (also known as the Rose of Jericho), caused by a parasite transmitted to humans through the bite of the sand fly, were known in the western Negev even before the war. In recent weeks, we have treated many soldiers with leishmania infection, and we work closely with the IDF Medical Corps and dermatologists."Another skin disease that is common among soldiers is referred to by the soldiers as 'leishmanias.
' The disease is manifested by rashes and tingling of the skin, as a result of days or weeks fighting without a shower and clean clothes. The best way to deal with this is to allow showering and changing uniforms when operational conditions are suitable."
- More on the subject:
- Iron Sword War
- Gaza War
- Wounded
- Sheba