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Management of Central Nervous System War Injuries

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Reconstructing the War Injured Patient

Abstract

Traumatic brain and spine injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among civilians and military personnel. These types of injuries are associated with long-lasting impact on quality of life, by affecting daily activities, movement, reasoning, or causing personality changes. Injury types have been changing over the last 100 years due to the difference in war tactics applied during combats. Moreover, since the start of the campaign against global terror, new tools such as the improvised explosive device have been used in war zone with more debilitating traumatic effect on the subjects. However, transport system from battlefield to medical center along with the appropriate and advanced hospital equipment led to decrease in mortality rate among the war injured. Currently, no guidelines have been set for the management of war brain injury (WBI) or war spinal cord injury (WSCI) patients. Many factors should be taken into consideration before deciding on medical versus interventional therapy. In the following chapter, we will be exploring the presentation of patients with WBI or WSCI, diagnostic modalities, treatment, complications, and the long-term outcome.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

    Ghassan S. Skaf M.D., F.R.C.S.C., F.A.C.S. & Elias Elias M.D, MPH

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  1. Ghassan S. Skaf M.D., F.R.C.S.C., F.A.C.S.
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  2. Elias Elias M.D, MPH
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Correspondence to Ghassan S. Skaf M.D., F.R.C.S.C., F.A.C.S. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

    Ghassan Soleiman Abu-Sittah

  2. Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

    Jamal J. Hoballah

  3. Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Centre-Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon

    Joseph Bakhach

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Skaf, G.S., Elias, E. (2017). Management of Central Nervous System War Injuries. In: Abu-Sittah, G., Hoballah, J., Bakhach, J. (eds) Reconstructing the War Injured Patient. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56887-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56887-4_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56885-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56887-4

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