Mortality from battlefield wounds has historically declined, thanks to better surgical management, faster transport of casualties,
and improved antibiotics. Today, one of the major challenges facing U.S. military caregivers is the presence of multidrug-resistant
organisms in orthopaedic extremity wounds. The most frequently identified resistant strains of bacteria are Staphylococcus
aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex. Overuse of broad-spectrum
antibiotics may be an important factor in building resistant strains. Acinetobacter infections appear to hospital-acquired
and not from an initial colonization of the injury. More research is required to give military physicians the tools they require
to reduce the infection rate and defeat multidrug-resistant organisms.
Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest,
patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.
The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of some of the authors and are not to be construed as official
or reflecting the views of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government. This work was prepared as part of their official
duties and, as such, there is no copyright to be transferred.