New concepts of forward combat surgery.

A modular, mobile and versatile evacuation hospital evolved by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) during the last 15 years serves as a sorting facility for the hospitals in its rear, in much the same manner as an emergency department functions within a hospital. It has extensive sorting and resuscitation capabilities, contrasting with a relatively small hospitalization potential. Surgery is performed only for resuscitation or for limb salvage. The evacuation hospital handled more than 4500 casualties during the 1973 and 1982 Arab-Israeli wars. Only 3 per cent of the wounded had to be operated on prior to further evacuation. Seventeen per cent were returned to the front lines after minor treatment and 80 per cent were sorted and stabilized and then evacuated further to rear hospitals. The eventual mortality for these 4500 casualties was 2.3 per cent.