History

Battle Casualties and Medical Statistics

Hospitalization in Korea

HOSPITAL SUPPORT IN KOREA

In medical planning for combat support, many estimates must be developedfrom consideration of projected numbers of hospital patients and beds.Estimates may be made, for example, concerning number and classes of hospitalbeds and hospitals and of medical personnel required to operate them, ornumbers and classes of military personnel who will reach personnel replacementdepots after hospital treatment. In making these estimates, the plannerdeals at one time or another with projected hospital admissions; with hospitalbed occupancy and the average duration of hospital stay, influencing andinfluenced by the length of the evacuation policy; and with dispositionsfrom hospital, by type of disposition, returns to duty, out-of-theaterevacuations, deaths; and for echelon-to-echelon analysis-transfers to otherhospitals. All of these are needed separately for various categories ofpatients (for example, Army, non-Army; battle casualty, disease and nonbattleinjury) and for various types of hospitals (for example, close combat support,and communications zone). While past experience seldom provides exact parallelsto the situations with which the planner must deal, it often provides abasis, or at least a starting point, for the development of useful descriptionsof relationships among the variables to be considered in planning for hospitalization.

It is extremely difficult at best to present a picture of hospital supportin Korea which would reflect the classical configuration of echelon deployment.During the initial stages of the campaign, hospital support was criticallyshort. By the end of the first 6 months, all U.N. casualties had receivedtheir care from a maximum of four mobile army surgical hospitals (whosebed capacities increased from 60 to 150 by November 1950), three 400-bedsemimobile evacuation hospitals, four 400-bed field hospitals, one stationhospital, and three hospital ships (9). During the year 1951, thesame four mobile army surgical hospitals (with bed capacities increasedto 200 in May 1951) continued in close support of the frontline divisions.In April 1951, an additional unit of this type became operational. Of thethree 400-bed semimobile evacuation hospitals, only one continued its missionin reasonably close support of combat troops, one was inactivated in December1950, and the other was returned to Japan upon the withdrawal from NorthKorea following the intervention of the Chinese Communists When this latterunit was later recommitted in July 1951 at Taejon, it was too far to therear to permit its utilization in close support of the divisions. A fourthevacuation hospital was at Conju until the fall of 1951 when it moved toWonju. Although three additional evacuation hospitals were committed inNovember 1951, they operated more or less in the role of station hospitals.Of the four field hospitals that had been in Korea in 1950, only one functionedin its normal role and it was inactivated in November 1951. Another thathad returned to Japan in December 1950 was recommitted at Koje-do in April1951 to provide medical care for enemy prisoners of war. The other twofield hospitals were in Pusan and they also were engaged in treating enemyprisoners. The one station hospital activated in 1950 was operational inPusan until November 1951, when it was inactivated. A second station hospitalwas operational in Pusan until October 1951.

HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN KOREA, 1952

With the initiation of truce talks at Kaesong in July 1951 and the subsequentgeneral stabilization of battlelines, the functions of certain hospitalsin the chain of evacuation in Korea became identifiable, although somewhatunorthodox, since the functions of those hospitals were not those indicatedby their official designations. Nevertheless, by considering the functionsactually performed rather than the unit designations, the relationshipof the units to the pattern of hospital operations became generally, discernible,and the framework in which these data are presented, represents a reconstruction

of the way in which the hospitalization. and evacuation systems operatedin Korea in 1952.

In this manner, 10 separate functional types of hospitals could be identifiedamong the 25 U.S. Army hospitals which were operated at various times bydesignated U.S. Army medical units in Korea during this period. It wasalso possible to group nine of the 10 types of U.S. Army hospitals in Koreainto the two major zones of operations: the field army area (combat zone)and the communications zone. Since the POW (prisoner-of-war) hospitalswere established expressly to treat and care for internees and enemy prisonersof war, they are considered as a separate group and have not been identifiedwith either of the two major operational echelons of hospitalization.

Calendar Year 1952 is particularly relevant to this analysis becauseit represented a period during which the hospitalization and evacuationpattern for Korea remained fairly even, reflecting the relative stabilizationof battlelines which took place after initiation of truce talks in mid-1951.

The character of tactical operations is reflected in the frontispiecewhich shows admissions for U.S. Army personnel to hospital and quarters,for each month, in terms of numbers per year per 1,000 average strength.For the first 5 months of 1952, the trend of the battle casualty ratesreflects relatively minor engagements, patrol skirmishes, and occasionalraids into enemy territory. In June, the battle casualty admission ratetripled when heavy fighting for possession of strategic heights broke outin the Chorwon-Yonchon sector of the central front. A seesaw "battleof the ridges" continued during July, settling down in August to localizedthough bitter battles for individual hills: "Old Baldy," "T-Bone,"and "Bunker Hill." Fighting for the latter hill raged on indecisivelyduring September. Battle casualty admissions reached their peak for theyear during October, when the Communists launched a coordinated attack(the largest of the year) on the western and central fronts. Wounded admissionsdeclined sharply in November and December, reflecting curtailment of combatoperations in the severe winter weather.

Variations in admission rates for nonbattle causes reflected annualseasonal influences to some extent; the rate for February represented awinter peak, and rates for January and March were relatively high. Thesubsequent decline was interrupted in May- increased incidence of neuropsychiatricconditions and of malaria was reported, coincident with increasing intensityof combat- but the downward trend was resumed in September.

It should be pointed out that the situation depicted is perhaps completelyatypical in some respects- for example, a very high proportion of patientsin Army hospitals in Korea in 1952 were non-Army personnel, chiefly, prisonersof war. On the other hand, these data present a body of data pertainingto all hospitals in a combat area-communications zone system although,ordinarily, readily available logistical information pertains only to fixedhospitals. While the data provide a historically valid quantitative accountof a 12-month period of wartime Army hospital operations in Korea as theyactually took place, it is necessary to emphasize that any critical analysisof these data should evaluate very carefully the many special factors whichinfluenced them.

SOURCE OF DATA

Each Army medical treatment facility which provided hospital beds wasrequired to submit a Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443) each monthto The Surgeon General and to senior medical officers in appropriate intermediateheadquarters. These data were obtained from that report, which was submittedweekly as required by Army regulations in effect in 1952 (10). The reportincluded the number of admissions to hospitals, distinguishing "initial"admissions (patients, admitted directly, and patients referred from dispensaries,aid stations, and other nonhospital facilities) from admissions by transferfrom other hospitals. The number of dispositions from hospital by type(such as duty, death, evacuation to the United States, and transfers toother medical treatment facilities) was also included, along with the patientcensus and the number of beds occupied. These data were reported separatelyfor several types of patients- Army, Navy-Marine Corps, and Air Force active-dutypersonnel, and other patients as a group. When a facility's patients includedbattle casualties, a separate report pertaining to battle casualties wassubmitted. Medical treatment facilities providing hospital care for prisonersof war also furnished data pertaining specifically to that category ofpatients.

OUTPATIENT AND QUARTERS CARE

Although these data deal with hospitalization in Korea, it is of backgroundinterest to note briefly the size of the nonhospital patient care workloadin

that particular area during this period of the Korean War.

Of those who required care at Army medical treatment facilities, themajority were not, of course, admitted to hospital or excused from dutyfor treatment elsewhere, but were, in reality, attended as outpatients.During 1952, in Korea, there were more than 4,700,000 visits to Army medicaltreatment facilities by outpatients; and almost 1,500,000 of these outpatientvisits were made by Army active-duty personnel, at sick call or at othertimes (11).

The patient who is admitted in the course of a visit to a medical treatmentfacility is not reported as an outpatient. He is a "direct admission"-that is, for U.S. military personnel, a patient excused from duty (retainedpast midnight, so that his organization's Morning Report reflects a changein his status) for treatment in hospital or "quarters," includingnonhospital facilities such as aid stations, clearing stations, and dispensaries.During calendar year 1952, Army, hospitals and other Army medical treatmentfacilities in Korea reported some 133,172 admissions "to hospitaland quarters" for Army active-duty personnel, including 12,007 woundedadmissions and 121,165 disease and nonbattle injuries.

Of these admissions to hospital and quarters, treatment for a high proportionwas completed forward of hospital or while they were in a "quarters"status- they did not become hospital admissions. Thus, in Korea during1952, there were approximately 73,000 initial admissions to hospital forU.S. Army personnel, the remaining excused-from-duty patients being treatednot as hospital patients but in "quarters" or in nonhospitalfacilities. For U.S. Army personnel in Korea, the rates of admission peryear per l,000 average strength were as follows: to hospital and quartersfor all causes, 576, and to hospital, 326; for wounded, to hospital andquarters, 52, and to hospital, 44; and for nonbattle causes, to hospitaland quarters, 524, and to hospital, 282.

LIMITATIONS OF DATA

Tables 54 through 57 present data on patient flow and other hospitalizationdata in detail, for all personnel and for U.S. Army personnel, separately,by cause of admission (battle and nonbattle) for individual U.S. Army hospitalsoperating in Korea during 1952. The data are also presented for functionalgroups of hospitals.

It will be observed that "initial admissions" have not beensupplied for the individual hospitals listed in tables 54-57. While thetotal number of hospital admissions reported from Korea in 1952 appearsto be valid, analysis indicates that the reported number of initial hospitaladmissions was understated, particularly for Army patients admitted fornonbattle causes, with a corresponding overstatement in the number of admissionsby transfer. Such, a disparity may arise when personnel at rearward hospitalsassume erroneously that patients from forward units should be reportedas "transfers," the presumption being that they will alreadyhave been reported as initial admissions by forward hospitals. Unfortunately,such an assumption is perhaps least valid when it is most tempting to makeit during periods of peak admission loads. Peak work-loads at hospitalsin the rear may reflect increased activity at the front, which, of itself,may have required unusual or changed evacuation procedures- that is, medicaltreatment facilities normally in the chain of evacuation may have beenbypassed, or fighting on a flank may have resulted in a large number ofcasualties in an area to which forward medical facilities had not yet beendeployed, so that the casualties were moved directly to rearward hospitals.Valid estimates of the correct numbers of the initial admissions and ofadmissions by transfer may be obtained for the entire area by consideringthe number and nature of the dispositions reported. Reasonably precise"corrections" may also be made in the data pertaining to groupsof hospitals. However, estimating "corrections" for individualhospitals is more difficult and requires information not readily available.Consequently, estimated numbers of initial hospital admissions and of admissionsby transfer are presented for the Korean area as a whole and for groupsof hospitals, but such estimates for individual hospitals are not shown.It may be presumed with some certainty, of course, that virtually all admissionsto hospitals in the field army close-support group were initial admissions.

FIELD ARMY AREA HOSPITALS

Units operating hospitals in the field, army area included five, designatedas 60-bed mobile army surgical hospitals, but augmented to 200-bed evacuationhospitals. These evacuation hospitals (semimobile) furnisbed close supportto the frontline troops. One of these hospitals (8225th MASH) became inoperationalat the end of May 1952. At that time, the portion of the line to its frontwas held by Republic of Korea troops. However, it was later reopened, inSeptember 1952, as a 60-bed

Table 54.- Patient flow and other hospitalizationdata, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952, all personnel, nonbattle causes

Major echelon of operation, type of hospital function, and specific unit designation	Patient census, start 1952	Total admissions			Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)²	Disposition of patients by type						Patient census, end 1952
	Patient census, start 1952	Total¹	Initial¹	Transfer¹	Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)²	All dispositions	Duty	Death	Hospital transfers intra-Korea	Evacuation to Japan	Other dispositions	Patient census, end 1952
Field Army area hospitals, total	705	80,706	50,873	29,833	850	7.6	80,618	31,145	372	40,355	7,820	926	793
First level, close support, total	290	35,989	35,989	⁽⁴⁾	209	2.4	36,137	8,173	214	26,773	89	888	142
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (200-bed),⁵ total	290	34,157	34,157	⁽⁴⁾	192	2.1	34,335	7,515	212	25,647	89	872	112
8055th MASH (43d Surgical)	92	11,659	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	48	1.7	11,711	1,674	45	9,966	⁽⁴⁾	26	40
8063d MASH (44^th Surgical)	59	6,869	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	38	2.0	6,893	1,360	84	5,360	89	⁽⁴⁾	35
8076th MASH (45th Surgical)	24	7,094	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	34	1.8	7,105	1,999	32	4,496	⁽⁴⁾	578	13
8209th MASH (46th Surgical)	91	6,599	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	58	3.2	6,666	1,887	40	4,471	⁽⁴⁾	208	24
8225^th MASH (47^th Surgical)	24	1,936	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	33	2.5	1,960	595	11	1,354	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	(4)
Surgical hospital (mobile-army) (60-bed), 8225th MASH (47th Surgical)⁷	(4)	349	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	4	1.3	345	29	2	314	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	4
Transfer point, holding stations (60-120 bed), 629th Medical Clearing Co. (Sep)⁸	(4)	1,483	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	19	3.0	1,457	629	(4)	812	⁽⁴⁾	16	26
Second level, Army rear, total	415	44,717	14,884	29,833	641	7.3	44,481	22,972	158	13,582	7,731	38	651
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (400-bed), total	415	40,651	13,313	27,338	505	4.6	40,591	20,212	107	12,755	7,517	⁽⁴⁾	475
11th Evacuation Hospital	199	14,299	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	254	6.6	14.374	8.183	42	3,919	2,229	⁽⁴⁾	125
121st Evacuation Hospital	216	26,352	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	251	3.6	26,218	12,029	65	8,836	5,288	⁽⁴⁾	350
Specialized treatment hospitals, total	⁽⁴⁾	4,066	1,571	2,495	136	19.0	3,890	2,760	51	827	214	38	176
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury hospital (200-bed),⁵ 8228th MASH (48^th Surgical)⁹	⁽⁴⁾	2,237	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	133	16.8	2,091	1,386	50	618	⁽⁴⁾	37	146
Neuropsychiatric hospital (300-bed), 123d Medical Holding Co. and 212^th Psychiatric Detachment¹⁰	⁽⁴⁾	1,829	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	48	7.4	1,799	1,374	1	209	214	1	30
Communications Zone hospitals, total (less POW)	1,068	30,288	25,998	13,290	1,162	11.6	39,011	23,573	134	1,806	9,372	4,126	1,345
Station, hospitals (400-bed), total	768	30,207	21,218	8,989	674	8.5	30,351	20,226	32	666	8,806	621	624
21st Evacuation Hospital	282	15,188	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	325	8.1	15,083	10,283	16	263	4,104	417	387
22d Evacuation Hospital¹¹	346	4,564	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	288	9.8	4,910	3,726	2	64	1,106	12	⁽⁴⁾
25th Evacuation Hospital	140	10,455	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	224	8.0	10,358	6,217	14	339	3,596	192	237
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital (400-bed), 8211th Medical Administrative Detachment	154	3,705	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	208	21.1	3,604	1,751	80	95	565	1,113	255
Korean Service Corps-station hospital (400-bed), 171st Evacuation Hospital	146	5,376	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	280	19.9	5,056	1,596	22	1,045	1	2,392	466
Prisoner-of-war hospitals, total	6,163	42,265	37,003	5,262	6,398	65.2	42,491	33,779	876	6,968	⁽⁴⁾	868	5,937
3d and 14th Field Hospitals (800-bed combined)¹²	4,789	8,020	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	3,864	147.6	11,475	8,033	591	2,234	⁽⁴⁾	617	1,334
64th Field Hospital (400-bed)	1,347	30,238	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	2,448	31.6	27,234	23,411	264	3,557	⁽⁴⁾	2	4,378
514th Medical Clearing Company¹³	⁽⁴⁾	2,741	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	72	6.7	2,599	1,561	19	770	⁽⁴⁾	249	142
1st Platoon (100-bed)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(585)	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	(19)	7.9	(559)	(200)	(5)	(231)	⁽⁴⁾	(123)	(26)
2^nd Platoon (100-bed)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(1,556)	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	(32)	5.3	(1,487)	(884)	(2)	(475)	⁽⁴⁾	(126)	(69)
3d Platoon (100-bed)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(600)	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	(21)	9.2	(553)	(477)	(12)	(64)	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	(47)
543d Medical Clearing Company (200-bed)¹⁴	⁽⁴⁾	1,266	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	90	11.3	1,183	774	2	407	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	83

¹ Group totals estimated.
²As indicated in these notes, some hospitals were not operationalthroughout the entire calendar year. Averages in this column pertain tothe actual period of operation for individual hospitals; for echelon andother groups, however, averages pertain to the entire year. Consequently,individual hospital averages as shown do not in all cases add to averagesfor the groups.
³ Estimated on the basis of summary report data.
⁴ Indicates no patients and so forth were reported, or thata computed average was smaller than 0.5 or 0.05, as applicable.
⁵ In 1953, these hospitals were reorganized and redesignatedfrom 200-bed units functioning as evacuation hospitals (and one specializedhospital) to 60-bed surgical hospitals with missions appropriate to thattype of unit. For convenient reference, the new designations applicablein 1953 are shown in parentheses.
⁶ Although group totals have been estimated, such estimatesare not feasible, on the basis of available data, for individual hospitals.See discussion in text.
⁷ Functioned as an evacuation hospital, January-May 1952, inclusive.In June 1952, this hospital was placed on a standby training basis, andwas reopened in September 1952 as a 60-bed surgical hospital, operatingas such through the remainder of the year.
⁸ Functioning during the period May-December 1952, inclusive.This unit operated seven holding stations at points of transfer from ambulanceto rail or air transport. This table does not reflect the unit's holdingstation operations, however ; patients received at transfer points andheld for very brief periods awaiting further transportation are not accountedfor as admissions or otherwise in summary statistical reports of hospitalpatients. Data shown pertain to personnel from organizations in the vicinityof those stations, for which the clearing company provided primary medicalcare.
⁹ Functioning during the period April-December 1952, inclusive.
¹⁰ Functioning during the period April-December 1952, inclusive.These two units were designated as the 123d Medical Holding Hospital.
¹¹ Functioning during the period January-May 1952, inclusive.
¹² These two units combined operated a single POW hospital atPusan until the summer of 1952, when the 3d Field Hospital moved to theisland of Cheju-do. However, single monthly reports for the two hospitalscombined were received throughout 1952.
¹³ Functioning during the period April-Deceraber 1952, inclusive.
¹⁴ Functioning during the period August-December 1952, inclusive.The lst Platoon operated a 150-bed hospital, while the 2d and 3d Platoonseach operated a 50-bed holding hospital for POW patients awaiting evacuationto the rear. However, only single monthly reports for the three platoonscombined were received throughout 1952.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

Table 55.- Patient flow and other hospitalizationdata, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952, U.S. Army personnel, nonbattlecauses

Major echelon of operation, type of hospital function, and specific unit designation	Patient census, start 1952	Total admissions			Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)²	Disposition of patients by type						Patient census, end 1952
	Patient census, start 1952	Total¹	Initial¹	Transfer¹	Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)²	All dispositions	Duty	Death	Hospital transfers intra-Korea	Evacuation to Japan	Other dispositions	Patient census, end 1952
Field Army area hospitals, total	582	67,438	42,284	25,154	685	6.1	67,406	27,246	174	33,649	6,315	22	614
First level, close support, total	223	29,291	29,291	⁽⁴⁾	144	1.9	29,425	6,540	95	22,697	71	22	89
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (200-bed),⁵ total	223	27,690	27,690	⁽⁴⁾	130	1.8	27,848	5,946	94	21,715	71	22	65
8055th MASH (43d Surgical)	70	9,271	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	34	1.5	9,321	1,244	22	8,054	⁽⁴⁾	1	20
8063d MASH (44^th Surgical)	40	5,266	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	25	1.8	5,284	1,007	28	4,178	71	⁽⁴⁾	22
8076th MASH (45th Surgical)	22	5,802	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	21	1.3	5,818	1,619	18	4,167	⁽⁴⁾	14	6
8209th MASH (46th Surgical)	70	5,718	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	43	2.8	5,771	1,548	21	4,195	⁽⁴⁾	7	17
8225^th MASH (47^th Surgical)	21	1,633	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	22	2.0	1,654	528	5	1,121	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾
Surgical hospital (mobile-army) (60-bed), 8225th MASH (47th Surgical)⁷	⁽⁴⁾	248	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	2	1.0	247	22	1	224	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	1
Transfer point, holding stations (60-120 bed), 629th Medical Clearing Co. (Sep)⁸	⁽⁴⁾	1,353	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	18	3.0	1,330	572	⁽⁴⁾	758	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	23
Second level, Army rear, total	359	38,147	13,196	24,951	541	6.7	37,981	20,706	79	10,952	6,244	⁽⁴⁾	525
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (400-bed), total	359	34,889	11,915	22,974	432	4.6	34,867	18,398	50	10,363	6,056	⁽⁴⁾	381
11th Evacuation Hospital	184	13,296	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	227	6.3	13,379	7,612	23	3,655	2,089	⁽⁴⁾	101
121st Evacuation Hospital	175	21,593	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	205	3.6	21,488	10,786	27	6,708	3,967	⁽⁴⁾	280
Specialized treatment hospitals, total	⁽⁴⁾	3,258	1,281	1,977	109	14.9	3,114	2,308	29	589	188	⁽⁴⁾	144
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury hospital (200-bed),⁵ 8228th MASH (48^th Surgical)⁹	⁽⁴⁾	1,625	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	103	18.0	1,506	1,057	28	421	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	119
Neuropsychiatric hospital (300-bed), 123d Medical Holding Co. and 212^th Psychiatric Detachment¹⁰	⁽⁴⁾	1,633	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	42	7.4	1,608	1,251	1	168	188	⁽⁴⁾	25
Communications Zone hospitals, total (less POW)	891	30,716	19,760	10,956	737	9.3	30,934	21,432	13	1,185	8,283	21	673
Station, hospitals (400-bed), total	674	26,858	18,852	8,006	594	8.5	26,995	18,591	12	546	7,826	20	537
21st Evacuation Hospital	241	13,663	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	288	8.1	13,571	9,655	6	219	3,679	12	333
22d Evacuation Hospital¹¹	322	4,262	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	267	9.7	4,584	3,504	2	60	1,014	4	⁽⁴⁾
25th Evacuation Hospital	111	8,933	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	190	8.0	8,840	5,432	4	267	3,133	4	204
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital (400-bed), 8211th Medical Administrative Detachment	75	1,851	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	84	17.0	1,813	1,281	1	74	456	1	113
Korean Service Corps-station hospital (400-bed), 171st Evacuation Hospital	142	2,007	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	58	10.4	2,126	1,560	⁽⁴⁾	565	1	⁽⁴⁾	23
Prisoner-of-war hospitals, total	3	1,785	1,785	⁽⁴⁾	27	5.7	1,775	671	3	1,098	⁽⁴⁾	3	13
3d and 14th Field Hospitals (800-bed combined)¹²	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾
64th Field Hospital (400-bed)	3	1,501	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	25	6.2	1,494	460	2	1,032	⁽⁴⁾	(4)	10
514th Medical Clearing Company¹³	⁽⁴⁾	279	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	3	3.3	276	210	1	62	⁽⁴⁾	3	3
1st Platoon (100-bed)	⁽⁴⁾	(88)	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	(1)	2.5	(86)	(40)	(1)	(42)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(3)	(2)
2^nd Platoon (100-bed)	⁽⁴⁾	(53)	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	(1)	3.8	(53)	(52)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(1)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾
3d Platoon (100-bed)	⁽⁴⁾	(138)	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	(2)	3.7	(137)	(118)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(19)	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	⁽⁽⁴⁾⁾	(1)
543d Medical Clearing Company (200-bed)¹⁴	⁽⁴⁾	5	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁴⁾	3.0	5	1	⁽⁴⁾	4	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾

¹ Group totals estimated.
²As indicated in these notes, some hospitals were not operationalthroughout the entire calendar year. Averages in this column pertain tothe actual period of operation for individual hospitals; for echelon andother groups, however, averages pertain to the entire year. Consequently,individual hospital averages as shown do not in all cases add to averagesfor the groups.
³ Estimated on the basis of summary report data.
⁴ Indicates no patients and so forth were reported, or thata computed average was smaller than 0.5 or 0.05, as applicable.
⁵ In 1953, these hospitals were reorganized and redesignatedfrom 200-bed units functioning as evacuation hospitals (and one specializedhospital) to 60-bed surgical hospitals with missions appropriate to thattype of unit. For convenient reference, the new designations applicablein 1953 are shown in parentheses.
⁶ Although group totals have been estimated, such estimatesare not feasible, on the basis of available data, for individual hospitals.See discussion in text.
⁷ Functioned as an evacuation hospital, January-May 1952, inclusive.In June 1952, this hospital was placed on a standby training basis, andwas reopened in September 1952 as a 60-bed surgical hospital, operatingas such through the remainder of the year.
⁸ Functioning during the period May-December 1952, inclusive.This unit operated seven holding stations at points of transfer from ambulanceto rail or air transport. This table does not reflect the unit's holdingstation operations, however ; patients received at transfer points andheld for very brief periods awaiting further transportation are not accountedfor as admissions or otherwise in summary statistical reports of hospitalpatients. Data shown pertain to personnel from organizations in the vicinityof those stations, for which the clearing company provided primary medicalcare, and so forth.
⁹ Functioning during the period April-December 1952, inclusive.
¹⁰ Functioning during the period April-December 1952, inclusive.These two units were designated as the 123d Medical Holding Hospital.
¹¹ Functioning during the period January-May 1952, inclusive.
¹² These two units combined operated a single POW hospital atPusan until the summer of 1952, when the 3d Field Hospital moved to theisland of Cheju-do. However, single monthly reports for the two hospitalscombined were received throughout 1952.
¹³ Functioning during the period April-Deceraber 1952, inclusive.
¹⁴ Functioning during the period August-December 1952, inclusive.The lst Platoon operated a 150-bed hospital, while the 2d and 3d Platoonseach operated a 50-bed holding hospital for POW patients awaiting evacuationto the rear. However, only single monthly reports for the three platoonscombined were received throughout 1952.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

Table 56.- Patient flow and other hospitalizationdata, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952, all personnel, battle causes

Major echelon of operation, type of hospital function, and specific unit designation	Patient census, start 1952	Total admissions			Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)³	Disposition of patients by type						Patient census, end 1952
	Patient census, start 1952	Total	Initial¹	Transfer¹	Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)³	All dispositions	Duty	Death	Hospital transfers intra-Korea	Evacuation to Japan	Other dispositions	Patient census, end 1952
Field Army area hospitals, total	145	22,838	13,704	9,134	156	4.3	22,875	968	456	15,098	5,627	726	108
First level, close support, total	72	13,205	13,204	1	79	2.3	13,238	424	401	11,389	298	726	39
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (200-bed),⁴ total	72	12,546	12,546	⁽⁵⁾	78	2.3	12,580	414	398	10,745	298	725	38
8055th MASH (43d Surgical)	2	4,796	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	22	1.8	4,784	179	58	4,547	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	14
8063d MASH (44^th Surgical)	28	3,266	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	19	2.2	3,288	53	175	2,762	298	⁽⁵⁾	6
8076th MASH (45th Surgical)	11	1,206	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	10	3.1	1,213	44	47	695	⁽⁵⁾	427	4
8209th MASH (46th Surgical)	22	2,914	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	24	3.1	2,922	112	112	2,400	⁽⁵⁾	298	14
8225^th MASH (47^th Surgical)	9	364	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	8	3.2	373	26	6	341	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Surgical hospital (mobile-army) (60-bed), 8225th MASH (47th Surgical)⁷	⁽⁵⁾	539	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	6	1.1	538	9	3	526	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	1
Transfer point, holding stations (60-120 bed), 629th Medical Clearing Co. (Sep)⁸	⁽⁵⁾	120	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	1	0.3	120	1	⁽⁵⁾	118	⁽⁵⁾	1	⁽⁵⁾
Second level, Army rear, total	73	9,633	500	9,133	77	3.0	9,637	544	55	3,709	5,329	⁽⁵⁾	69
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (400-bed), total	73	9,633	500	9,133	77	3.0	9,637	544	55	3,709	5,329	⁽⁵⁾	69
11th Evacuation Hospital	25	2,971	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	37	4.6	2,979	315	34	1,209	1,421	⁽⁵⁾	17
121st Evacuation Hospital	48	6,662	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	40	2.2	6,658	229	21	2,500	3,908	⁽⁵⁾	52
Specialized treatment hospitals, total	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Communications Zone hospitals, total (less POW)	224	6,184	716	5,468	213	13.6	6,147	2,666	5	183	2,819	474	261
Station, hospitals (400-bed), total	135	4,298	557	3,741	84	7.8	4,389	1,742	2	79	2,539	27	44
21st Evacuation Hospital	65	1,627	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	28	7.6	1,678	628	⁽⁵⁾	36	993	21	14
22d Evacuation Hospital⁹	35	237	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	21	13.3	272	172	1	1	98	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
25th Evacuation Hospital	35	2,434	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	47	7.2	2,439	942	1	42	1,448	6	30
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital (400-bed), 8211th Medical Administrative Detachment	62	1,125	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	61	20.0	1,138	826	⁽⁵⁾	32	280	⁽⁵⁾	49
Korean Service Corps-station hospital (400-bed), 171st Evacuation Hospital	27	761	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	68	36.5	620	98	3	72	⁽⁵⁾	447	168
Prisoner-of-war hospitals, total	2,854	259	45	214	1,367	318.8	2,923	2,378	10	532	⁽⁵⁾	3	190
3d and 14th Field Hospitals (800-bed combined)¹⁰	2,854	259	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	1,367	318.8	2,923	2,378	10	532	⁽⁵⁾	3	190

¹ Group totals estimated.
²As indicated in these notes, some hospitals were not operationalthroughout the entire calendar year. Averages in this column pertain tothe actual period of operation for individual hospitals; for echelon andother groups, however, averages pertain to the entire year. Consequently,individual hospital averages as shown do not in all cases add to averagesfor the groups.
³ Estimated on the basis of summary report data.
⁴In 1953, these hospitals were reorganized and redesignatedfrom 200-bed units functioning as evacuation hospitals (and one specializedhospital) to 60-bed surgical hospitals with missions appropriate to thattype of unit. For convenient reference, the new designations applicablein 1953 are shown in parentheses.
⁵Indicates no patients and so forth were reported, or that acomputed average was smaller than 0.5 or 0.05, as applicable.
⁶ Although group totals have been estimated, such estimatesare not feasible, on the basis of available data, for individual hospitals.See discussion in text.
⁷ Functioned as an evacuation hospital, January-May 1952, inclusive.In June 1952, this hospital was placed on a standby training basis, andwas reopened in September 1952 as a 60-bed surgical hospital, operatingas such through the remainder of the year.
⁸ Functioning during the period May-December 1952, inclusive.This unit operated seven holding stations at points of transfer from ambulanceto rail or air transport. This table does not reflect the unit's holdingstation operations, however ; patients received at transfer points andheld for very brief periods awaiting further transportation are not accountedfor as admissions or otherwise in summary statistical reports of hospitalpatients. Data shown pertain to personnel from organizations in the vicinityof those stations, for which the clearing company provided primary medicalcare, and so forth.
⁹ Functioning during the period April-December 1952, inclusive.
¹⁰These two units combined operated a single POW hospital atPusan until the summer of 1952, when the 3d Field Hospital moved to theisland of Cheju-do. However, single monthly reports for the two hospitalscombined were received throughout 1952.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

Table 57.- Patient flow and other hospitalizationdata, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952, all personnel, battle causes

Major echelon of operation, type of hospital function, and specific unit designation	Patient census, start 1952	Total admissions			Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)³	Disposition of patients by type						Patient census, end 1952
	Patient census, start 1952	Total	Initial¹	Transfer¹	Average daily number beds occupied²	Average duration in hospital (days)³	All dispositions	Duty	Death	Hospital transfers intra-Korea	Evacuation to Japan	Other dispositions	Patient census, end 1952
Field Army area hospitals, total	99	16,629	9,529	7,100	101	4.0	16,686	786	197	11,287	4,412	4	42
First level, close support, total	49	9,465	9,464	1	47	1.9	9,496	335	169	8,769	219	4	18
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (200-bed),⁴ total	49	8,998	8,998	⁽⁵⁾	46	1.9	9,019	326	166	8,304	219	4	18
8055th MASH (43d Surgical)	1	3,578	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	14	1.7	3,570	143	38	3,389	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	9
8063d MASH (44^th Surgical)	18	2,251	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	12	2.0	2,268	45	69	1,935	219	⁽⁵⁾	1
8076th MASH (45th Surgical)	9	577	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	3	1.9	586	33	5	547	⁽⁵⁾	1	⁽⁵⁾
8209th MASH (46th Surgical)	16	2,296	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	14	2.3	2,304	83	51	2,167	⁽⁵⁾	3	8
8225^th MASH (47^th Surgical)	5	286	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	5	2.5	291	22	3	266	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Surgical hospital (mobile-army) (60-bed), 8225th MASH (47th Surgical)⁷	⁽⁵⁾	399	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	5	1.2	399	8	3	388	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Transfer point, holding stations (60-120 bed), 629th Medical Clearing Co. (Sep)⁸	⁽⁵⁾	78	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁶⁾	⁽⁵⁾	0.2	78	1	⁽⁵⁾	77	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Second level, Army rear, total	50	7,164	65	7,099	54	2.8	7,190	451	28	2,518	4,193	⁽⁵⁾	24
Evacuation hospitals (semimobile) (400-bed), total	50	7,164	65	7,099	54	2.8	7,190	451	28	2,518	4,193	⁽⁵⁾	24
11th Evacuation Hospital	21	2,705	⁽⁶⁾	2,705	32	4.4	2,713	297	19	1,059	1,338	⁽⁵⁾	13
121st Evacuation Hospital	29	4,459	65	4,394	22	1.8	4,477	154	9	1,459	2,855	⁽⁵⁾	11
Specialized treatment hospitals, total	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Communications Zone hospitals, total (less POW)	199	5,160	519	4,641	136	10.3	5,277	2,479	1	135	2,660	2	82
Station, hospitals (400-bed), total	119	4,031	510	3,521	77	7.5	4,112	1,654	1	56	2,399	2	38
21st Evacuation Hospital	55	1,479	198	1,281	24	6.9	1,525	581	⁽⁵⁾	26	918	⁽⁵⁾	9
22d Evacuation Hospital⁹	31	230	5	225	20	13.1	261	166	⁽⁵⁾	1	94	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
25th Evacuation Hospital	33	2,322	307	2,015	45	7.2	2,326	907	1	29	1,387	2	29
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital (400-bed), 8211th Medical Administrative Detachment	55	1,004	2	1,002	54	19.8	1,015	727	⁽⁵⁾	27	261	⁽⁵⁾	44
Korean Service Corps-station hospital (400-bed), 171st Evacuation Hospital	25	125	7	118	6	16.2	150	98	⁽⁵⁾	52	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾
Prisoner-of-war hospitals, total	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾	⁽⁵⁾

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

surgical hospital and, in October 1952, was placed in support of a U.S.Army infantry division near the Punchbowl area.

From these hospitals, patients were transported by ambulance to theair bases and railheads (where holding stations were operated by a separatemedical clearing company) for air or rail evacuation to two 400-bed semimobileevacuation hospitals. The latter two hospitals were authorized to determinethe next destination of patients requiring evacuation to southern Koreaand to Japan. They were, too far to the rear to furnish close support orto function as evacuation hospitals in the strictest sense; therefore,to distinguish them from the close-support evacuation hospitals (semimobile,200 bed), the term "second level-Army rear" has been coined.

From tables 54-57, it may be seen that all admissions at the close-support200-bed evacuation hospitals and at the surgical hospital were initialadmissions, while about three-quarters of all dispositions were transfersto other hospitals in Korea. These, units operated in, immediate supportof the frontline troops and, therefore, received their patients eitherdirectly or from aid stations and clearing companies. On the other hand,the second-level 400-bed evacuation hospitals received almost all (90 percent)of their patients by transfer from the frontline hospitals. About one-halfof the dispositions at second-level 400-bed evacuation hospitals were returnsto duty, about one-fourth were evacuations to Japan, and one-fourth weretransfers to communications zone hospitals in Korea.

Tables 54-57 also include data for two specialized treatment hospitalswhich were part of the field army area hospitalization system in Korea.The specialized treatment center for epidemic hemorrhagic fever was establishedin April 1952, and operated by a unit with table-of-organization-and-equipmentdesignations as a mobile army surgical hospital. During the winter of 1952-53,this hospital also functioned as the Eighth U.S. Army Cold Injury TreatmentCenter. A neuropsychiatric hospital was also established in April 1952to treat and rehabilitate all neuropsychiatric cases for U.S. and U.N.Forces in Korea. This hospital was operated by a medical holding companycombined with a psychiatric detachment.

COMMUNICATIONS ZONE HOSPITALS

Tables 54-57 also identify the U.S. Army units and present the patientflow and other hospitalization data for U.S. Army hospitals in the communicationszone. (As used here, the term " communications zone " refersto location and function rather than to organizational affiliation. TheKorean Communications Zone per se did not become operational untilAugust 1952, at which time it assumed control of the existing hospitalsoperating in the rear areas.) The rear-area hospitals in Korea during 1952consisted of four 400-bed evacuation hospitals, which functioned as stationhospitals and also provided care for patients evacuated from forward medicaltreatment facilities. One of these (22d Evacuation Hospital) became inoperationalin June 1952. Another (171st Evacuation, Hospital) provided hospital supportto the Korean Service Corps (labor) personnel. In addition, there was anArmy unit which operated with the Swedish Red Cross Hospital.

The communications zone hospitals received about one-half of their nonbattleadmissions as initial admissions and one-half as admissions by transferfrom other hospitals. Almost all of the battle admissions were by transfer.Most of the dispositions at the communications zone hospitals were returnsto duty. Evacuations to Japan made up about one-fourth of their dispositions.

PRISONER-OF-WAR HOSPITALS

Detailed information for enemy POW hospitals operated by U.S. Army unitsin Korea during 1952 are also included in tables 54-57. Three field hospitalsand two medical clearing companies operated a total of nine POW hospitals.The 3d Field hospital and the 14th Field hospital operated a combined POWhospital at Pusan until the summer of 1952, when the 3d Field hospitalmoved to the island of Cheju-do. However, only a consolidated monthly Bedsand Patients Report for both hospitals combined was received throughout1952. Therefore, the data are presented as for one hospital, rather thanfor each of the two hospitals. The 64th Field hospital was the third U.S.Army unit of this type. The remaining six POW hospitals were operated bythe three platoons of each of two separate medical clearing companies.While, reports were received from each of the three platoons of one ofthese units, the 514th Medical Clearing Company, only a consolidated reportwas furnished by the 543d Medical Clearing, Company. For the latter, thecombined data are presented as for one hospital rather than

for each of the three hospitals which the company actually operated.

CATEGORY OF PERSONNEL

As a presentation of admission workload, table 58 deals with total hospitaladmissions; that is, initial admissions and admissions by transfer combined.

Approximately 81 percent (84,067) of the 103,544 admissions (includingtransfer admissions) to U.S. Army field army area hospitals in Korea during1952 were Army personnel (table 58). Other U.S. active-duty military personnelaccounted for 2,119 admissions (2 percent), while the remaining 17 percentwas comprised of 10,823 allied, and neutral military personnel, 456 prisonersof war, and 6,079 "others" (chiefly Korean civilians, but alsoAmerican National Red Cross personnel, correspondents, and others). Thedistribution was similar for the 45,472 admissions at the communicationszone hospitals, where U.S. Army personnel were responsible for 79 percentof all admissions, other active-duty U.S. military personnel for 4 percent,and other personnel for 17 percent. At the Korean Service Corps stationhospital, "other" patients (mainly Korean Service Corps personnel)made up 63 percent of the admissions; and at the POW hospitals, prisonersof war made up 83 percent of the admissions. The percentages of U.S. Armypersonnel in the total admitted to the latter two types of hospitals were35 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

CAUSE OF ADMISSION

As did the preceding table, table 59 deals with total hospital admissions,presenting initial and transfer admissions according to cause groups forall patients and for U.S. Army patients. For the Korean area as a whole,the distribution by cause group of initial admissions alone is also ofinterest. During the year 1952, there were 128,339 initial admissions ofall personnel to Army hospitals in this area: 14,465 of battle casualtypatients (11 percent of all initial admissions) and 113,874 for nonbattlecauses. Initial admissions of U.S. Army personnel for all causes numbered73,877, of which 10,048 (14 percent) were battle casualty patients and63,829 were patients admitted for nonbattle causes. Army patients madeup 59 percent of those initially admitted for all causes; 69 percent ofthe initial admissions of battle casualties were Army patients, while initialadmissions of Army nonbattle patients represented 56 percent of all patientsinitially admitted for nonbattle causes.

As seen in table 59, there were 103,544 total admissions (includingtransfer admissions) of all personnel at field army area hospitals, ofwhich 80,706 (78 percent) were for nonbattle causes (disease and nonbattleinjury combined) while 22,838 (22 percent) were for battle causes. U.S.Army personnel accounted for 84 percent of all the nonbattle admissionsand 73 percent of all the battle admissions at field army area hospitals.Of the total 84,067 admissions to field army area hos-

Table 58.- Admissions¹ tohospital for all causes, by category of personnel and by type of hospitalwithin major operational echelon, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952

Major echelon of operation and type of hospital function	Total hospital admissions	Active-duty military personnel				Other personnel
Major echelon of operation and type of hospital function	Total hospital admissions	Army	Navy	Marine Corps	Air Force	Allied and neutral military personnel	POW	Other
Field Army area hospitals	103,544	84,067	63	673	1,383	10,823	456	6,079
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	46,703	36,678	7	132	101	5,940	196	3,649
Surgical (mobile-army)	888	647	--	1	--	152	--	88
Holding hospitals	1,603	1,431	--	1	1	108	2	60
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	50,284	42,053	47	354	1,163	4,319	258	2,090
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury hospital	2,237	1,625	9	183	6	223	--	191
Neuropsychiatric hospital	1,829	1,633	--	2	112	81	--	1
Communications Zone hospitals	45,472	35,876	41	112	1,462	2,039	60	5,882
Station hospitals	34,505	30,889	40	108	1,386	1,296	6	780
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	4,830	2,855	--	1	31	684	--	1,259
Korean Service Corps station hospital	6,137	2,132	1	3	45	59	54	3,843
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	42,524	1,785	3	--	--	101	35,271	5,364

¹Admissions shown in this table represent notjust initial admissions, but the sum of initial and transfer admissions;thus, a particular patient may be reported at several echelons, and thetotal shown will be greater than the number of initial admissions to hospital.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

Table 59.- Admissions¹ tohospital, by cause of admission and by type of hospital within major operationalechelon, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952

Major echelon of operation and type of hospital function	All personnel					U.S. Army personnel
	All causes	Nonbattle		Battle		All causes	Nonbattle		Battle
	Number	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Field Army area hospitals	103,544	80,706	77.9	22,838	22.1	84,067	67,438	80.2	16,629	19.8
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	46,703	34,157	73.1	12,546	26.9	36,678	27,690	75.5	8,988	24.5
Surgical (mobile-army)	888	349	39.3	539	60.7	647	248	38.3	399	61.7
Holding hospitals	1,603	1,483	92.5	120	7.5	1,431	1,353	94.5	78	5.5
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	50,284	40,651	80.8	9,633	19.2	42,053	34,889	83.0	7,164	17.0
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury hospital	2,237	2,237	100.0	--	--	1,625	1,625	100.0	--	--
Neuropsychiatric hospital	1,829	1,829	100.0	--	--	1,633	1,633	100.0	--	--
Communications Zone hospitals	45,472	39,288	86.4	6,184	13.6	35,876	30,716	85.6	5,160	14.4
Station hospitals	34,505	30,207	87.5	4,298	12.5	30,889	26,858	87.0	4,031	13.0
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	4,830	3,705	76.7	1,125	23.3	2,855	1,851	64.8	1,004	35.2
Korean Service Corps station hospital	6,137	5,376	87.6	761	12.4	2,132	2,007	94.1	125	5.9
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	42,524	42,265	99.4	259	0.6	1,785	1,785	100.0	--	--

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

Table 60.- Dispositions from hospital,by type of hospital within major operational echelon, for selected typesof dispositions, U.S. Army hospitals, Kprea, 1952

Major echelon of Operation and type of hospital function	Total dispositions		Duty		Death		Hospital transfers		Evacuation		Other¹
Major echelon of Operation and type of hospital function	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
All Personnel
All U.S. Army hospitals, Korea	194,065	100.0	94, 509	100.0	1,853	100.0	64,942	100.0	25,638	100.0	7,123	100.0
Field Army area hospitals	103,493	53.3	32,113	34.0	828	44.7	55,453	85.4	13,447	52.4	1,652	23.2
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	46,915	24.2	7,929	8.4	610	32.9	36,392	56.0	387	1.5	1,597	22.4
Surgical (mobile-army)	883	0.5	38	⁽²⁾	5	0.3	840	1.3	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Holding hospitals	1,577	0.8	630	0.7	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	930	1.4	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	17	0.3
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	50,228	25.8	20,756	22.0	162	8.7	16,464	25.4	12,846	50.1	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury	2,091	1.1	1,386	1.5	50	2.7	618	1.0	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	37	0.5
Neuropsychiatric hospital	1,799	0.9	1,374	1.4	1	0.1	209	0.3	214	0.8	1	0.0
Communications Zone hospitals	45,158	23.3	26,239	27.7	139	7.5	1,989	3.1	12,191	47.6	4,600	64.6
Station hospitals	34,740	18.0	21,968	23.2	34	1.8	745	1.2	11,345	44.3	648	9.1
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	4,742	2.4	2,577	2.7	80	4.3	127	0.2	845	3.3	1,113	15.6
Korean Service Corps hospital	5,676	2.9	1,694	1.8	25	1.4	1,117	1.7	1	⁽²⁾	2,839	39.9
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	45,414	23.4	36,157	38.3	886	47.8	7,500	11.5	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	871	12.2
U.S. Army personnel
All U.S. Army hospitals, Korea	122,078	100.0	52,614	100.0	388	100.0	47,354	100.0	21,670	100.0	52	100.0
Field Army area hospitals	84,092	68.8	28,032	53.3	371	95.6	44,936	94.6	10,727	49.5	26	50.0
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	36,867	30.2	6,272	11.9	260	67.0	30,019	63.4	290	1.3	26	50.0
Surgical (mobile-army)	646	0.5	30	0.1	4	1.0	612	1.3	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Holding hospitals	1,408	1.2	573	1.1	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	835	1.8	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	42,057	34.4	18,849	35.8	78	20.1	12,881	27.2	10,249	47.3	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury	1,506	1.2	1,057	2.0	28	7.2	421	0.9	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Neuropsychiatric hospital	1,608	1.3	1,251	2.4	1	0.3	168	0.3	188	0.9	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Communications Zone hospitals	36,211	29.7	23,911	45.5	14	3.6	1,320	2.8	10,943	50.5	23	44.2
Station hospitals	31,107	25.5	20,245	38.5	13	3.3	602	1.3	10,225	47.2	22	42.3
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	2,828	2.3	2, 008	3.8	1	0.3	101	0.2	717	3.3	1	1.9
Korean Service Corps hospital	2,276	1.9	1, 658	3.2	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	617	1.3	1	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	1,775	1.5	671	1.2	3	0.8	1,098	2.3	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	3	5.8

¹Includes transfers to quarters and patientslisted as AWOL.
²Indicates that no dispositions were reported, or that a computedpercentage was less than 0.05.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

Table 61.- Percentage distribution ofdispositions from hospital, by type of disposition, for selected groupingsof U.S. Army hospitals, Korea, 1952

Major echelon of Operation and type of hospital function	All personnel					U.S. Army personnel
Major echelon of Operation and type of hospital function	Total dispositions	Duty	Death	Hospital transfers intra-Korea	Evacuation to Japan	Other¹	Total dispositions	Duty	Death	Hospital transfers intra-Korea	Evacuation to Japan	Other¹
Field Army area hospitals	100.0	31.0	0.8	53.6	13.0	1.6	100.0	33.3	0.4	53.4	12.8	⁽²⁾
First level, close support	100.0	17.4	1.2	77.3	0.8	3.3	100.0	17.7	0.7	80.8	0.7	0.1
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	100.0	16.9	1.3	77.6	0.8	3.4	100.0	17.0	0.7	81.4	0.8	0.1
Surgical (mobile-army)	100.0	4.3	0.6	95.1	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾	100.0	4.6	0.6	94.7	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Holding hospitals	100.0	39.9	⁽²⁾	59.0	⁽²⁾	1.1	100.0	40.7	⁽²⁾	59.3	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Second level, Army rear	100.0	43.5	0.4	32.0	24.1	0.1	100.0	46.8	0.2	29.8	23.1	⁽²⁾
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	100.0	41.3	0.3	32.8	25.6	⁽²⁾	100.0	44.8	0.2	30.6	24.4	⁽²⁾
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury	100.0	66.3	2.4	29.6	⁽²⁾	1.8	100.0	70.2	1.9	28.0	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Neuropsychiatric hospital	100.0	76.4	0.1	11.6	11.9	0.1	100.0	77.8	0.1	10.4	11.7	⁽²⁾
Communications Zone hospitals	100.0	58.1	0.3	4.4	27.0	10.2	100.0	66.0	⁽²⁾	3.6	30.2	0.1
Station hospitals	100.0	63.2	0.1	2.1	32.7	1.9	100.0	65.1	⁽²⁾	1.9	32.9	0.1
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	100.0	54.3	1.7	2.7	17.8	23.5	100.0	71.1	⁽²⁾	3.6	5.4	⁽²⁾
Korean Service Corps hospital	100.0	29.8	0.4	19.7	⁽²⁾	50.0	100.0	72.8	⁽²⁾	27.1	⁽²⁾	⁽²⁾
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	100.0	79.6	2.0	16.5	⁽²⁾	1.9	100.0	37.8	0.2	61.9	⁽²⁾	0.2

¹Includes transfers to quarters and patientslisted as AWOL.
²Indicates that a computed percentage was less than 0.05.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

pitals for U.S. Army personnel, 67,438 (80 percent) were nonbattle and16,629 (20 percent) were battle admissions. At communications zone hospitals,86 percent of the total admissions for all personnel were for nonbattlecauses, while 14 percent were battle admissions. For most of the groupswhich have been combined by type of hospital function, nonbattle causesaccounted for the great majority of the admissions. The exception was thelone surgical hospital (mobile army), where battle admissions represented61 percent of the total, compared with only 39 percent for nonbattle admissions.For the other groups, the percentage which nonbattle admissions constitutedof all admissions for all personnel ranged from 73 percent for evacuationhospitals (semimobile, 200 bed) to 100 percent for the two specializedtreatment hospitals.

TYPE OF DISPOSITION

Tables 60 and 61 show that 194,065 dispositions (including dispositionsby transfer) of all personnel (including enemy POW patients) were accomplishedby U.S. Army hospitals in Korea during 1952. Of these dispositions, 64,942were transfers between hospitals within Korea and 25,638 were patientsevacuated to Japan. There were 94,509 patients returned to duty, 1,853deaths, and 7,123 other dispositions (mainly transfers to quarters andpatients listed as absent without leave).

Table 60 indicates, as might be expected, that 85 percent of all intra-Koreatransfers of patients involved the rearward movement of patients from hospitalsin the field army area, while only 3 percent were transfers between hospitalsof the communications zone; the balance (12 percent) represents transfersfrom POW hospitals. Prisoner-of-war patients transferred between POW hospitalsrepresented 10 percent of the intra-Korea, transfers, and 2 percent wereU.S. military Personnel transferred from POW hospitals to other U.S. hospitalsin Korea.

Of the total number of patients evacuated to Japan, about 52 percentcame from field army hospitals (almost all from the second-level evacuationhospitals, semimobile, 400 bed), while 48 percent came from communicationszone hospitals (largely from the station hospitals). No POW patients wereevacuated to Japan.

At field army area hospitals occurred 34 percent of all the returnsto duty and 45 percent of all deaths. Most of the deaths were reportedby the close-support evacuation hospitals (semimobile, 200 bed), whilemost of the returns to duty from field army area hospitals came from theArmy rear area, evacuation hospitals (semimobile, 400 bed). Among

all personnel in U.S. Army hospitals in Korea during 1952, 48 percentof all deaths occurred at the POW hospitals. However, the inclusion ofenemy POW patients fit the figures for all personnel tends to distort thehospital pattern by echelon of operation. For example, when the 122,078dispositions of U.S. Army patients are considered separately, it may beseen that 95 percent of all of the intra-Korea transfers of U.S. Army patientsoriginated at field army hospitals. The pattern of patients evacuated toJapan is consistent, however, since no enemy POW patients were included.

The percentage distributions in table 61 show the relative frequencyof each type of disposition among all, dispositions from the several hospital-functiongroups. These proportions follow the patterns that might be expected: Theproportion of dispositions which were "final" is lowest for hospitalscloser to the front, and, correspondingly, the relative number of transfersis higher at the direct-support hospitals and lower at the rearward hospitals.For example, hospitals in close support at the first level returned 17.7percent of Army patients to duty and transferred 80.8 percent to otherhospitals in Korea. At the second level, in the field army rear, 46.8 percentof the Army patients went to duty; and 52.9 percent were moved to otherhospitals for further treatment, with 23.1 percent of all dispositionsbeing evacuated to Japan and 29.8 percent being transferred to communicationszone hospitals in Korea. At the latter hospitals, two-thirds (66 percent)of the Army patients were returned to duty.

HOSPITAL DEATH RATIOS

In connection with data on hospital deaths in tables 60 and 61, it isimportant to emphasize that they do not provide a basis for qualitativeconsideration of the hospital care provided. Any such consideration wouldrequire analysis of a large volume of data (such as data on diagnoses,and data on time-lapse between injury and admission) which are not directlyrelated to the purposes of these data and should, in any event, be basedon ratios adjusted to take into account the varying proportion of "final"to total dispositions.

The battle casualty "case fatality rate" (2.5 percent) forKorea, which has been reported elsewhere in comparisons with those forearlier wars, is derived from relating the total number who died of wounds,whether in hospital or in another type of medical treatment facility, tothe total number who were excused from duty as wounded in action. Sincethese data pertain only to hospitalized patients, case fatality ratiosof the same type, cannot be derived from them.

AVERAGE PATIENT CENSUS AND AVERAGE DURATION OF HOSPITALIZATION

As may be seen in table 62, the average daily number of beds occupiedby all classes of personnel at U.S. Army hospitals in Korea, during 1952,was 10,141 and the estimated average duration of hospitalization was 33days per case.

Table 62 shows that field army hospitals had an average bed occupancyof 1,001 patients, compared with 1,375 for the communications zone hospitals.The average bed occupancy of 7,765 patients at POW hospitals representedapproximately 76 percent of the total number of patients occupying bedson the average day during 1952 in, Korea. The estimated average durationof hospitalization per case was 6.7 days for all personnel at field armyhospitals, 11.9 days at communications zone hospitals, and 76.8 days atPOW hospitals.

The large numbers of POW patients apparently exerted an overwhelminginfluence on the overall averages and, therefore, have tended to distortthe pattern of hospital load in terms of echelon of operation. This effectmay be seen when data for U.S. Army personnel are considered separately(table 62). The average of 1,683 U.S. Army patients was distributed as782 in field army hospitals, 873 in communications zone hospitals, andthe balance (27) in POW hospitals. The overall average duration of hospitalizationfor U.S. Army patients in Korea during 1952 was 10.7 days per case; anaverage of 6.8 days was spent in field army hospitals, and 9.5 days werespent in communications zone hospitals for each case hospitalized in themduring 1952. It is of interest to note that the close-support evacuationhospitals (semimobile, 200 bed) show an average duration of about 2 daysper case regardless of class of patients (those admitted for battle causesor those admitted for nonbattle causes), while the second-level evacuationhospitals (semimobile, 400 bed) show an average duration of stay of approximately3 days for battle patients, compared with about 5 days for nonbattle patients.The daily average beds occupied figures of 103 for U.S. Army personnelat the hemorrhagic and cold injury hospital and of 43 at the neuropsychiatrichospital compared to the daily average of 133 and

Table 62.- Average bed occupancy andaverage duration of hospitalization, by cause of admission and by typeof hospital within major operational echelon, U.S. Army hospitals, Korea,1952

Major echelon of Operation and type of hospital function	Daily average number of beds occupied			Average duration in hospital (days)¹
	All causes	Nonbattle	Battle	All causes	Nonbattle	Battle
All Personnel
All U.S. Army hospitals, Korea	10,141	8,405	1,736	33.0	31.8	41.0
Field Army area hospitals	1,001	845	156	6.7	7.6	4.3
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	270	192	78	2.2	2.1	2.3
Surgical (mobile-army)	10	4	6	1.2	1.3	1.1
Holding hospitals	20	19	1	2.8	3.0	0.3
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	582	505	77	4.3	4.6	3.0
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury	133	133	⁽²⁾	16.8	16.8	⁽²⁾
Neuropsychiatric hospital	48	48	⁽²⁾	7.4	7.4	⁽²⁾
Communications Zone hospitals	1,375	1,162	213	11.9	11.6	13.6
Station hospitals	758	674	84	8.5	8.5	7.8
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	269	208	61	20.9	21.1	20.0
Korean Service Corps hospital	348	280	68	21.9	19.9	36.5
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	7,765	6,398	1,367	76.8	65.2	318.8
U.S. Army personnel
All U.S. Army hospitals, Korea	1,683	1,445	238	10.7	11.1	8.9
Field Army area hospitals	782	681	101	6.8	7.6	4.0
Evacuation (semimobile) (200-bed)	176	130	46	1.8	1.8	1.9
Surgical (mobile-army)	7	2	5	1.1	1.0	1.2
Holding hospitals	18	18	⁽²⁾	2.8	3.0	0.2
Evacuation (semimobile) (400-bed)	486	432	54	4.3	4.6	2.8
Hemorrhagic fever and cold injury	103	103	⁽²⁾	18.0	18.0	⁽²⁾
Neuropsychiatric hospital	42	42	⁽²⁾	7.4	7.4	⁽²⁾
Communications Zone hospitals	873	737	136	9.5	9.3	10.3
Station hospitals	671	594	77	8.4	8.5	7.5
Army unit with Swedish Red Cross hospital	138	84	54	18.0	17.0	19.8
Korean Service Corps hospital	64	58	6	10.8	10.4	16.2
Prisoner-of-war hospitals	27	27	⁽²⁾	5.7	5.7	⁽²⁾

¹For patients remaining in U.S. Army hospitalsin Korea at the end of 1952 and those evacuated to Japan, the average includeonly the time lost in U.S. Army hospitals in Korea during 1952.
²Indicates that no admission, days, and so forth were reported,or that a computed average was less than 0.5 for number of beds occupiedand less than 0.05 for days in hospital.

Source: Beds and Patients Report (DD Form 443).

48, respectively, for all personnel hospitalized at these two specializedtreatment centers. The average duration of stay per case during 1952 forU.S. Army personnel was approximately 18 days at the former and 7 daysat the latter hospital. U.S. Army patients in communications zone hospitalsaveraged 10.3 days per case for battle patients, compared with 9.3 daysper case for nonbattle patients. U.S. Army personnel hospitalized at theSwedish Red Cross hospital in 1952 averaged 1.8 days per case, and U.S.Army patients hospitalized at the Korean Service Corps station hospitalaveraged about 1.1 days per case.

It might be noted, however, that these tables do not include data onthe relatively small number of Army patients hospitalized by U.S. Air Forceand U.S. Navy medical treatment facilities. In Korea, during 1952, therewere 512 Army patients admitted (of which 490 were initial admissions)to Air Force organizations operating hospital beds, with a daily averagebed occupancy of eight Army patients. Also, 1,970 Army patients were admitted(including 899 initial admissions) to U.S. Navy hospital ships, with adaily average of 75 beds occupied by such Army patients during 1952. Neitherdo these tables include data on the relatively small numbers of U.S. Armypatients hospitalized in allied military medical treatment facilities.With one exception, such patients were accounted for in Beds and PatientsReports from Army hospitals designated by appropriate headquarters as administrativelyresponsible for Army patients in specified "nearby" allied facilities.At the Swedish Red Cross Hospital, the exception, Beds and Patients Reportson Army patients were submitted by an Army medical organization servingwith that particular hospital.

Estimates for logistical guidance, however, may be obtained from measurementof the patient flow and the patient load at individual facilities, by typeof hospital, at different echelons of operation, and for the several classesof patients reflected in these data.

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