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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jeffrey A. Hadley, PhD, Keith G. Hauret, MSPH, MPT, Stephanie Morrison, MPH, and Bruce H. Jones, MD, MPH. Injury Prevention Program, US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, 5158 Blackhawk Rd., Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, (410) 436-5481, jeffrey.hadley@us.army.mil

Even in wartime operations, non-battle injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of the present study was to use the U.S. Transportation Command Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System (TRAC2ES) to (1) determine the 2004 incidence of non-battle injuries in Operation Iraqi Freedom, (2) determine the causes of these non-battle injuries, and therefore (3) identify where prevention efforts may increase combat readiness. METHODS. Soldiers medically air evacuated in 2004 were identified from TRAC2ES. Histories from TRAC2ES records were used to (1) classify each case as either non-battle injury, battle injury or disease-related and (2) provide a cause code using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Standardization Agreement coding scheme. RESULTS. Of the 3,993 air evacuations due to injury in 2004, 2,418 (61%) were non-battle injuries and 1,575 (39%) were battle injuries. The top 3 causes of non-battle injuries were falls and jumps (18.7%), sports/physical training (18%) and motor vehicle-related accidents (15%). Nearly a third of all injuries classified as a fall/jump occurred from a stationary motor vehicle. Basketball, physical training and football accounted for over 70% of sports/physical training injuries (26%, 23% and 23%, respectively). Of the 139 motor vehicle accidents with a known vehicle type, 50% involved a HUMVEE. CONCLUSION. As with previous conflicts, non-battle injuries are a serious threat to combat readiness. Medical evacuation data provides complete and timely data for an important category of moderate-to-severe injuries. It provides insights into injury causes, allowing prioritization and targeting for more detailed investigation.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• List the three leading causes of non-battle injuries requiring air evacuation for Soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Describe the magnitude and relative importance of non-battle injuries as a threat to combat readiness, i.e., as revealed by injuries that require the evacuation of Soldiers serving in Iraq.

Keywords: Injuries, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered