A narrative review of damage control resuscitation for paediatric trauma patients in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2016

Introduction Requirement for blood transfusion in the injured paediatric civilian population is rare. Therefore, a substantial evidence base underpinning damage control resuscitation (DCR) in paediatric patients is lacking. Published outcome data originating from Iraq and Afghanistan offer a unique opportunity to study large cohorts of children who received DCR. It is hoped that by collating the data, this review will inform pre-deployment medical training and support the development of paediatric specific DCR guidelines, which can be used in all trauma environments. Methodology A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using online databases, grey literature searching and screening of reference lists. Papers discussing blood product, crystalloid or tranexamic acid (TXA) administration in paediatric patients injured in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001to present were included. Results Eighteen papers were included - all were retrospective studies of data from military trauma databases. Most children that received massive transfusion were male (73.4%), injured in Afghanistan (69.9%) by explosives (60.4%) with a median age of 9 years. A definition of paediatric massive transfusion of 40 ml/kg of all blood products within 24 h was developed. Massive transfusion rates were high (15.7% of children). Whole blood administration occurred in 4% of patients requiring blood transfusions. Low crystalloid volumes in combination with balanced blood product ratios were associated with improved survival, along with the use of whole blood and TXA. Conclusion The review offers insight into the paediatric population likely to require DCR and the optimal DCR strategies to be used in their management.