Abstract
In the worst Scud missile attack of the Gulf war, a surface to surface missile demolished a barracks housing American soldiers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Twenty-eight soldiers were killed; 98 were wounded - 60 of whom were admitted to King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU) in Al-Khobar, with a variety of injuries. Of these 60 wounded, 20 were seen by the ENT surgeon; 15 (25%) had otological injuries and the other five had shrapnel injuries to the head and neck. After receiving the primary treatment all patients were later transferred to a military hospital. This paper analyses injuries to the ears, and suggests that ear protection should be part of preventive measures to be taken during the alarm phase of such attacks.