Annual report 2001 on FOI's research on weapons traumatology

During the past year the medical experimental research has been consolidated in the new laboratories at KI/SöS. A modified blast research equipment has been installed and the HPM exposure devices has been upgraded after the initial tests to allow for much higher voltage during cell biological experiments as well as in small animal HPM experiments. Our laboratory´s examination arsenal of morphological techniques has been further extended. Several new techniques have been successfully tested. They are expected to make the analysis work more efficient and exhaustive. The new techniques of analysis are a basis for our search for clinically applicable criteria for blast trauma. Pressure waves and cavitation affecting endothelial cells revealed in one study changes which could contribute to the explanation of those injuries known as Vietnam lung. Studies on hypothermia, rewarming, haemorrhage shock and high energy shot wounds have been compiled and documented in a medical thesis. Investigations have been carried out on the acute injury effects behind body armour hit by high-energy bullets. Several theoretical calculations and field tests has been performed to validate data used in different vulnerability assessment programs. A comparison of two different assessment programs has been performed in studies of the human body vulnerability.