Comprehensive analysis of scientific research on penetrating neck wounds in the world and Ukraine

Abstract

Neck injuries remain a serious problem for combat medicine, and timely premedical care is crucial for the survival of military personnel with such trauma. The purpose is to conduct a retrospective analysis of scientific papers on the structure, location of penetrating neck wounds, complications during military conflicts around the world, and the provision of premedical and surgical care. Materials and methods. A literature search was conducted on the structure, location of penetrating neck wounds, complications and provision of premedical care in limited resources and surgical care during military conflicts in 73 modern scientific papers using the MEDLINE/PubMed, Karger, Embase/Ovid databases. After reviewing the articles and reading their full texts, 37 sources were selected. The search on the penetrating neck injury, premedical care was conducted for 2004–2024. Gunshot wounds to the larynx and pharynx are among the most serious neck injuries in military settings. They cause potentially life-threatening complications such as asphyxia, massive bleeding, and hypovolemic shock. The experience of Ukrainian doctors complements the strategy of new prehospital treatment protocols focused on airway management and stopping critical bleeding. Improvements in these approaches can significantly reduce combat morbidity and mortality among military personnel. The article presents 4 clinical cases of penetrating wounds of the head, neck, and face and the medical interventions performed at the second stage of evacuation to transfer to the next stage of treatment. Conclusions. It is recommended to continue research in this area based on the experience of Ukraine for new protocols at the prehospital stage of treatment focused on airway management and stopping critical bleeding. Improvement of these approaches can significantly reduce combat morbidity and mortality among military personnel.