Successful recovery in a paediatric patient with polytrauma following multiple gunshot wounds: Case report and review of literature.

ABSTRACT

Our case report evaluates a 2½ year old boy who presented to emergency care, following multiple gunshot injuries and was managed emergently using a multidisciplinary surgical approach at our center. The patient was unresponsive, had poor perfusion, bilaterally decreased air entry, a distended abdomen, and multiple entry and exit wounds. A multidisciplinary team including Paediatric Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Paediatric anaesthesiology team and Orthopaedic surgery were taken on board. Following effective immediate management and stabilization, the patient was admitted to the ward under careful observation. He was discharged on post-operative day 28 after a successful recovery and on his 6 month follow-up, the patient had shown significant improvement, with normal bowel and pulmonary function. Rapid intervention along with a multidisciplinary surgical approach helped ensure the success of the treatment. Prior permission from the patient's guardians was acquired before the preparation of this manuscript.