Gunshot injuries: experience in a tertiary health facility in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: the incidence of gunshot injuries and its negative socio-economic impact has assumed an alarming dimension in our environment in recent times as a result of increase in various criminal activities arising largely from poverty including armed robbery, insurgencies, banditry, kidnappings, political thuggery and the like. We share our experience in our centre. METHODS: a retrospective study of cases of gunshot injuries seen, admitted and managed at our health facility over a three-year period. Relevant information including: biodata, circumstances surrounding shooting, type/caliber of gun used, etc. were obtained from patient's case notes and other sources. Data were analysed using SPSS version 18. RESULTS: forty-one gunshot injury patients made up of 37 males and 4 females were studied. About 68% of the patients fell within the age group of 20-39 years. Students were the most commonly affected group (21%). Armed robbery was the most common aetiology of GSI in our patients (43.9%). Low-velocity guns were largely used (46%). The extremities were the most commonly injured (65.9%). Fractures occurred in 63.4% of patients the femur being the most frequently fractured (22.6%). Patients received various treatment modalities including, wound debridement (78%) and exploratory laparotomies (26.8%) while 3 (7.35%) of them died. CONCLUSION: armed robbery and other criminal activities continue to constitute important factors responsible for GSI in our environment. There is need for government and all stakeholders to do more in terms of fighting crime in addition to placing policies to alleviate socioeconomic deprivation.