Gun shot wounds


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Shooting injuries can occur either to the limb or trunk. The damage depends on the velocity of the bullet as well as the site.

Remember that there are 3 regions to examine when assessing a bullet wound. They are:

  1. the entry point,
  2. the tract,
  3. the resting place for the bullet

The distance between the entry point and the final resting place of the bullet can be large.

Simple soft tissue gunshot wounds (including through and through wounds) without complicating factors can be managed with minimum wound debridement and antibiotics [BestBets].

In patients with an isolated gunshot wound to the vault of the skull, and where the track of the bullet wound does not clinically suggest a c-spine injury, c-spine precautions are not required.[BestBets].


Content by Dr Íomhar O' Sullivan 23/06/2003. Reviewed by Dr ÍOS 23/06/2004, 08/02/2007.   Last review Dr ÍOS 21/06/21 .