Gun shot-101: an 8-year review of gunshot injuries in an Irish teaching hospital from a general surgical perspective.
BACKGROUND
Gun-related crime offences have increased in the Republic of Ireland steadily over the past number of years. Regional trauma units are witnessing unprecedented numbers of injuries in the Republic of Ireland with limited prior experience.


OBJECTIVE
Eight-year retrospective study analysing demographic data, management and outcome of firearm-related injuries.


RESULTS
Patients who experience gunshot injuries in this region are statistically likely to be young, male and unemployed with a single shotgun injury to an extremity. Post-operative survival rates of 100% for those who undergo an exploratory laparotomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Ireland has comparable survival outcomes to other international centres with similar patient demographics due to timely and appropriate operative intervention. These results serve to provide a template for further patient management.
O'Kelly
F
F
Department of General Surgery, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Republic of Ireland. fokelly@rcsi.ie
Gallagher
T K
TK
Lim
K T
KT
Smyth
P J
PJ
Keeling
P N
PN
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D003710:Demography; D005121:Extremities / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult