Objectives: Since February 1992, the civil war in the former Yugoslavia has left over 140,000 people dead. This study describes the injuries and outcome of patients treated at a provisional war hospital in Bosnia and compares mortality rates with war hospitals from prior armed conflicts.
Design: This is a-retrospective review of 1,703 trauma patients treated between March 1993 and October 1993 at the Nova Bila War Hospital.
Results: In Bosnia, the overall mortality was 10.3% (5.0% dead on arrival and 5.3% inhospital deaths). Head injuries, seen in 19.2% of patients, had a mortality of 23.8%. The odds of sustaining a gunshot wound were 2.8 times greater in Bosnia than in Vietnam (p < 0.05). The odds of sustaining a head injury were 1.1 to 1.6 times greater in Bosnia than in Lebanon and Afghanistan (p < 0.05). The overall mortality odds in Bosnia were 3.1 times greater than in Vietnam (p < 0.001), but were equal to those in Lebanon and Afghanistan.
Conclusions: Despite limited personnel and supplies, the inhospital mortality rate was comparable with those found in other war hospitals. The Nova Bila Hospital represents a unique response to the great medical need brought about by the continued fighting in the former Yugoslavia.
From the Office of International Studies, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois (M.J.V., E.P.S., A.E.R.), and the Nova Bila Hospital for War Wounded (Dr. Fra. Mato Nikolic Hospital), Nova Bila, Bosnia (T.P., B.K., V.T.).
Address for reprints: Michael J. VanRooyen, MD, FACEP, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Room 618, M/C 724, 1819 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612.
