IED: ‘improvised explosive device’ or an ‘inspirational and exceptional but disabled’ young soldier? The impact of blast injuries in a combat war zone

Coalition military forces are currently engaged in armed combat in Afghanistan. Young soldiers who are injured in battle may suffer extensive, debilitating injuries, which can have devastating consequences. The leading cause of death among troops is the increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Gunshot wounds and IEDs both cause injuries which may involve the bowel. In this article, Maddie White and Annette Leyland discuss the care associated with these injuries, to provide nurses working in coloproctology with an insight into their complexity and management.