Gunshot injuries in adults in the Abha region of Saudi Arabi

Abstract

The Injuries sustained superficial wounds (64.3%), haemothorax (9.5%). nerve injury (9.5%) lower hmb fractures (9.5%), hacmatoma(7.1%), liver and kidney injuries (2.4/o. respectively). Management included wound debridement and suturing (76.2%), thoracostomy tube drainage (14.3 /o), bullet removal (11.9%), internal fixation of fractures of long bones (9.5%), laparotomy and repair of gut (7.1%), nerve repair (4.8%), ulnar nerve graft (2.4%), and external fixation compound fracture of the tibia (2.4%). All the patients survived. The mean hospital stay was 15.45 ± 23.06 days (range =1-150 days). Although gunshot injuries are increasingly being reported from Saudi Arabia, the injuries are accidental and the morbidity appears to be low.