Naval Support Activity Hospital Danang Combat Casualty Deaths, January to June 1968

The purpose of this study was to describe various aspects of casualties who died while being treated at the Naval Support Activity Hospital, Danang, South Vietnam, and compare them with hospitalized casualties who survived. A computerized surgical data base with information on combat casualties admitted to the Naval Support Activity Hospital, Danang, South Vietnam, between January and June 1968 was used in this study. Of 2,021 patients admitted during this period, 97% were released alive, 2.1% were salvageable deaths, and 0.8% were non-salvageable deaths. Non-salvageable deaths had the largest percentage of head wounds, and salvageable deaths had the highest percentage of abdominal wounds. Whereas trauma was associated with the deaths that occurred in Vietnam, most of the deaths that occurred after the patients were transferred to a western Pacific or continental U.S. Hospital was associated with sepsis. Keywords: Vietnam War.