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New Zealand Medical Services in Middle East and Italy
The Work of the Field Surgical Unit
The Work of the Field Surgical Unit
The unit, under Major D. P. O'Brien, was attached to the active MDS during September and up till 18 October, and again for the last four days of November. For the rest of the time it was attached to 1 NZ CCS. During the whole period 230 operations were performed as follows:
| Operations Performed | Deaths | |||||||
| Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
| Abdominal | 5 | 14 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Abdomen and thoracic | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Chests | 4 | 4 | 8 | |||||
| Heads | ||||||||
| Major amputations | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||
| Fractures long bones | 31 | 3 | 35 | 69 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ligation major blood vessels | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Major joints | 2 | 8 | 10 | |||||
| Gas gangrene | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Wounds, severe | 7 | 18 | 25 | |||||
| Burns | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Secondary suture wounds | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Minor operations | 46 | 10 | 22 | 78 | ||||
| —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | |
| 100 | 16 | 114 | 230 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
Notes
| (a) |
Abdomens and chests: All operations on these cases were performed when attached to NZ CCS. |
| (b) |
With the oncoming winter an increase in the number of chest complications was noted in the heavier cases such as abdomens. For the same reason, chests were now being held longer prior to evacuation. |
| Time | Cause | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
| 24 hours | Shock | 1 | 1 | ||
| 24 hours | Blast | 1 | 1 | ||
| 24 hours | Gas gangrene | 2 | 2 | ||
| 24 hours | Pulmonary oedema | 1 | 1 | ||
| 10 days | Anuria | 1 | 1 | ||
| 20 days | Peritonitis | 1 | 1 | ||
| —— | —— | —— | —— | ||
| 2 | 5 | 7 |