Fatal Airway Injuries during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom

AbstractIntroduction. Airway compromise is the third leading cause of potentially preventable death on the battlefield. An understanding of the injuries associated with fatal airway compromise is necessary to develop improvements in equipment, training, and prehospital management strategies in order to maximize survival. Objective. To determine injury patters resulting in airway compromise in the combat setting. Methods. This was a subgroup analysis of cases previously examined by Kelly and colleagues, who reviewed autopsies of military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2006. Casualties with potentially survivable (PS) injuries and deaths related to airway compromise previously identified by Kelly et al. were reviewed in depth by a second panel of military physicians. Results. There were 982 cases that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 232 cases had PS injuries. Eighteen (1.8%%) cases were found to have airway compromise as the likely cause of primary death. All had...