Extraordinary military medical care of a pediatric patient with penetrating pelvic trauma: a case report.

Modern military medicine is an ever advancing field, capable of remarkable feats. We present the case of a 16-year-old Iraqi female with a single gunshot wound to the pelvis with extensive rectal injury who survived despite the odds. Using "damage control" techniques, this patient survived despite a reported 30% mortality associated with such wounds. During the course of her stay, she was cared for by a multidisciplinary team whose integrated efforts led to survival and complete closure of 2 of 3 wounds prior to discharge. The case demonstrates the success of modern military medical measures applied to a malnourished pediatric civilian in an austere environment. In addition to being noteworthy as an extraordinary case of survival, this case raises questions about the implications of practicing short-term modern medicine on a population that will have to be reintegrated into a primitive medical establishment, possibly before definitive care is complete.