[Injuries and death among Danish soldiers serving overseas].

INTRODUCTION

This is a survey of wounded and dead Danish soldiers in the period 1992-2008. Injuries and deaths caused by weapon effects, including accidental shots and subsequent events are described.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

During the period, the Danish Armed Forces deployed a total of 38,255 service men and women to former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Factual survey data were collected from the Danish Armed Forces and compared with relevant medical sources.

RESULTS

Denmark has had an overall mortality of 0.08% in missions and a morbidity of 0.25% due to weapon effects. There has been an increase in morbidity and mortality due to increased risks, while the survival rate has actually increased. The trend today is that those who die, do so quickly - most within 0-10 minutes. This survey shows that most of the wounded survive, and that many of them are injured to a lesser degree. This study involves no psychological conditions, but it is notable that suicide, violence-caused deaths, etc. were not subsequently observed among the injured. More than 75% of those injured have continued working with the Defence.

CONCLUSION

Treatment and management of wounded soldiers have now changed to focus on haemostatics, tourniquet use, better first aid training and specially trained soldiers (medics) to take care of the wounded combined with continuous treatment during evacuation by rotary wing directly to surgical facilities. This has improved the survival of wounded soldiers in line with the results found in foreign studies.