RESUMO
In the four-year period from 1996 to 1999, 42 adult patients (age 12 years and above) were admitted to the Assir Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia, following gunshot injuries. The mean annual admissions for gunshot injuries was 10.5 +/- 4.04 (range = 8-16 cases/annum). All the patients were males. The distribution of the patients' nationalities were: Saudis 66.7%, Yemenis 11.9%, Ethiopians 11.9%, Eritreans 7.1% and Sudanis 2.4%. In 38 cases, others shot the patient, while only one patient (2.4%) admitted to shooting himself accidentally. A pistol was used in 81% of cases while an air gun was used in 9.5% of the cases. Wound of entry analysis showed that gunshots were to the lower limbs in 20 cases (47.2%), the upper limbs in 22% and the chest in 13% of cases. Gunshots to the head and neck occurred in 7% and 2% of cases, respectively, while the abdomen was hit in 4% of cases. The injuries sustained included: superficial wounds (64.3%), haemothorax (9.5%), nerve injury (9.5%), lower limb fractures (9.5%), haematoma (7.1%), liver and kidney injuries (2.4%, respectively). Management included wound debridement and suturing (76.2%), thoracostomy tube drainage (14.3%), 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.