Lesões musculoesqueléticas por armas de fogo em crianças e adolescentes brasileiros

Abstract

Objective To evaluate and describe musculoskeletal injuries by firearms in children and adolescents attended in a major trauma center. Methods This was a retrospective study that evaluated the medical records of < 18 years old patients who were victims of injuries by firearms and who presented to the emergency department of our hospital, from January 2014 to December 2016. A total of 51 patients were excluded for not showing musculoskeletal injures or for other reasons, while 126 were included. The collected data were: gender; age; way of admission; body site hit; fractures; complications and sequelae; associated injures; hospitalization time; surgeries; deaths. Results Out of 126 patients included, 107 were male (84.9%) and 19 were female (15.1%). The mean age was 15 years and 5 months old (range: 2y + 8 months to 17y + 11 months years old). A total of 70 patients were hospitalized (55.6%), with a mean hospital stay of 9.6 days, and 21 patients were hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a mean of 14.7 days. A total of 37 patients needed orthopedic surgery (29.4%). There were 6 deaths (4.8%). The thigh was the most hit region, in 43 injuries (24.7%). Six patients had spinal cord sequelae, and eight patients had peripheral nerves injuries. A total of 58 patients (46%) had 71 fractures, and the femur was the most hit (15.5%). A total of 52 (41.3%) patients presented with associated injuries. In the 71 fractures, the treatment was conservative in 45 (63.4%), surgical in 23 (32.4%). Three injuries resulted in death (4.2%). Conclusion Adolescents and males are at-risk groups for firearms injuries, and the lesions are mainly on the lower limbs. Less than half of the patients had fractures, but many had complex lesions with potential for severe sequelae.

Management of Maxillofacial Gunshot Trauma in the Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery Departments of Ouagadougou

“…These traumas generally derive from depression, organised crime, drug abuse, police blunders, mishandling of firearms, etc. [9] [13]. In our context, these traumas were caused mainly by terrorist incidents and assaults in 67.31% and 30.77% of cases respectively.…”

“…In both wartime and peacetime, these injuries are mainly seen in young males In peacetime, maxillofacial gunshot injuries are caused by a variety of situations, generally dominated by suicide or homicide attempts, assaults and various accidents [11] [12] [13]. In France, Maurin et al reported 50% suicide attempts, 44% assaults, and 6% accidental or undetermined causes [14].…”

Epidemiological Profile of Patients With Vertebral Trauma at a Reference Center in the Amazon

“…These aspects are closely related to hospitalization times at HMUE, with the majority of patients staying for less than one month. 20,21 A significant portion of patients took more than one day to receive medical care, impairing the efficiency of interventions that could reduce morbidity. Some hypotheses that might explain this delay are that individuals only seek medical care after developing more severe symptoms; some may have to travel long distances to reach the referral center, and the lack of road infrastructure, making journeys more delayed.…”

Gunshot Abdominal Injuries: A Report of Two Cases and a Review of the Literature

“…During the pandemic, the COVID-19 gunshotrelated violence rate was stable because the youth were under the supervision of a parent or guardian [4]. But, in countries with undefined legal regulations and in war zones, urban violence is a tremendous social problem among older children and adolescents [5]. Abdominal injuries can occur as a result of blunt or penetrating trauma.…”