One year experience of emergency service in patients with penetrating head trauma due to firearm

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to share the features of 45 patients with firearm injuries related head traumas and our experiences in their treatments.  

Methods: Our cases consisted of 36 males 45 patients in total between the ages of 18-65, who were brought to the emergency service of our hospital due to firearm injuries. For this retrospective study, it was accessed to the patient data from the archival records of our hospital. The demographical data of the patients like age and gender, and the records such as type of injury, injured area in head, diagnosis, treatment and follow ups were reviewed. 

Results: There were sinus injury related epidural haemorrhages in 8 of patients who underwent urgent surgical intervention (17.8%). In 18 of the patients (39.95%) who underwent surgery had supratentorial injuries and 7 (15.55%) had infratentorial injuries. All these 25 patients (55.50%) who underwent surgery had multiple intracranial injuries (compression fracture + subdural haemorrhage + contusion + pneumocephalus + SAH + brain edema). Four of these 6 patients with multiple injuries had abdominal injuries. Two patients had haemopneumothorax. There were vertebra and extremity injuries in 2 patients with abdominal injuries.

Conclusions: Brain injuries occurring with the firearm head injuries are seen as multiple injuries and their rate of mortality is quite higher.