Tense Moments As Surgeons Remove UXO From Patient

Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Military doctors had to operate on an Afghan National Army Soldier last month as a result of injuries sustained during an IED explosion. When the patient was initially transported to the operating room, doctors thought that the metal object lodged in the patient's scalp was a piece of scrap metal.

Upon further inspection using X-ray and CT scans (see image below), the medical staff became concerned the item was a potential UXO based upon its shape. Non-essential personnel and patients that could be moved were quickly evacuated from the area as EOD was called in to respond. EOD identified the UXO as a 14.5-mm incendiary projectile.

EOD provided technical assistance on the fuzing mechanism and hazards of the round as the surgical team wearing body armor carefully removed the projectile from the patient's scalp. After the projectile was safely extracted without incident, EOD transported the munition off-site where it was safely disposed of. The patient survived the operation but does have a traumatic brain injury as a result of the impact of the projectile. Although the first 2 dimensional x-ray images shows the projectile well into the patients head, the round actually hit the victim on the side of his head and did not penetrate the skull as shown in the 2nd x-ray image.