Terror-Inflicted burn injury

Abstract

Burn injuries are common among victims of terrorism. Since bombs are the most common weapon used by terrorists all over the world, the inevitable results are a combination of blast injuries, penetrating injuries, and burns. This type of injury is very similar to injuries seen in wars. The main difference between war and terrorist attacks is in the targeted population - soldiers in the former, civilians in the latter. Civilians are less protected compared to soldiers and therefore are more susceptible. The fact that acts of terrorism harm the very old and the very young confronts the medical system with a case-mix that is utterly different from the one expected in war. The extreme age groups are special populations in terms of morbidity and mortality from burns, and this adds a new dimension to the treatment of burns caused by terrorist attacks, compared to war injuries. © 2009 Springer New York.