Operational Considerations: Review of Contemporary Data

The unique characteristics of terror-related explosion events necessitate a thorough reevaluation process to prepare all levels of medical treatment for casualties of such incidents, from the prehospital setting, through the hospitals, and all the way to rehabilitation and mental health. This chapter discusses the main operational considerations stemming from the modern trends of terror explosion injuries noted in recent evidence-based research. In particular, the chapter describes how explosive device characteristics interact with physical location of the explosion to define the patterns of injury and required clinical resources, as well as the influence of the general setting of the event (military/civilian, urban/rural) on scene and medical management.