The use of immunological drugs for the treatment of wound infections in military personnel during hostilities

Abstract

Aims: To assesses the trends in immunological drug development for managing wound infections in military personnel. To discuss the efficacy, safety, and long-term results, focusing on combination therapies, and identifying research deficits for improving the care of military wounds. Methodology: A narrative review was used in order to explores the use of immunological drugs for treating wound infections in military settings utilising a search strategy identified 840 publications from PubMed, with 6 studies meeting inclusion criteria for analysis from the years 2019 to 2022. Results: The narrative review concerning the use of immunological drugs for treating wound infections in military personnel during hostilities revealed an increasing trend in research interest from 2000 to 2024, with a significant rise from 7 publications in 2000 and 2001 to a peak of 72 in 2018, followed by a descent to 19 in 2021 likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a slight recovery to 41 in 2022. The key findings included a 50% reduction in infection rates and a 30% faster healing time with monoclonal antibody treatments, over 95% accuracy in species identification of MDR strains, and reduced bacteremia incidence with GM-CSF and G-CSF. Adverse effects varied from mild to moderate, including infusion reactions, nausea, and fatigue. The highlighted challenges included the need for larger sample sizes, long-term follow-up, optimal dosages, and studying diverse populations. Scientific Novelty: Explore the innovative realm of immunological drugs, a promising frontier in combating wound infections among military personnel during active hostilities. Conclusion: The review also identified new developments in immunomodulatory agents for military wound infection, which are effective in decreasing infection rates and enhancing the rate of wound healing.