Analysis of injury impact among Peshmerga forces during ISIS war in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Abstract

Background: War with ISIS (Daesh) is plaguing the Middle East region since 2014. It had a major regional and global impact on the lives of many. Peshmerga forces are the most active and effective ground force against ISIS. The major western forces and the international communities including the United Nations back up these forces. Although the war started 4 years, till now, little is known about the injuries these forces suffer from the explosive materials on the battlefield, and even less is known about the first aid and paramedic activities on the frontlines. Material and Methods: Reports estimate that 8,610 peshmerga were injured and 1,466 have died since the war with ISIS started. In this study, we randomly sampled the Medical records of 100 peshmerga injuries during the 3 years ISIS war(2014 o 2017) from Duhok Emergency Hospital. Objectives: This study aims to provide the descriptive analyses for the injuries suffered by Peshmerga forces in Duhok region, near Mosul, ISIS’s largest captured city in Iraq where the heart of the Battlefield was located. Results: This study also provides the information about the management lines and the outcome of these injuries. The main focus of this study is on blast and explosion injuries. It sheds the light on the line of the medical management on the battlefield and also highlights the availability of medical staff/equipment both at the frontlines and also at Duhok Emergency hospital which took care of the injured Peshmerga forces near Mosul. Conclusion: This study assessed the medical services and the outcome performance of wounded Peshmerga from blast injuries during the ISIS war.

Keywords

• blast injuries
• explosion injuries
• isis
• peshmerga