title: Gluteal gunshot wounds: who warrants exploration?
abstract: It is difficult to determine which stable patients with gluteal gunshot wounds warrant exploration since 22% to 36% will have injuries requiring operative intervention. The ability of preoperative studies to identify major injuries was evaluated to determine which studies could accurately triage patients into a high-risk group that would warrant laparotomy and a low-risk group that could be managed with observation. The findings of abdominal tenderness or gross blood in the urine or rectum were each highly predictive of major injury. The determination of an extrapelvic versus transpelvic bullet trajectory allowed accurate triage of 94% of patients. Nearly 85% of patients with a transpelvic trajectory had injuries that required operative intervention. No patients with an extrapelvic trajectory required laparotomy. Given the density of vital structures above and below the peritoneum in the pelvis, we conclude that any patient with a transpelvic bullet trajectory warrants exploration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: DiGiacomo
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rotondo
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Angood
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: McGonigal
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kauder
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002081:Buttocks / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy