Abdominal versus pelvic gunshot injuries in terms of postoperative outcomes: A cohort representing the experience of 406 cases in seven years

Abstract

Objective: Gunshot injuries have become a significant problem globally. This study aimed to assess the differences between abdominal versus pelvic gunshot injuries in terms of postoperative outcomes to determine which type of injury is more lethal. Material and Methods: This was a cohort study carried out to compare patients who had abdominal versus pelvic gunshot injuries, to analyse the differences in the impact of the anatomical site of injury on morbidity, mortality, and disabilities in all patients who had been admitted to the hospital due to torso gunshot injuries from February 2011 to December 2018. Results: During the study period, 406 patients suffered from torso gunshot injuries. 391 were males and 15 were females; 343 (84.4%) patients had abdominal gunshot wounds, which were considered the first group, while in the second group, there were 63 (15.6%) patients who had pelvic gunshot wounds In the first group, 328 (95.6%) patients required urgent explorative laparotomy, complications were observed in 83 (24.2%) patients, while re-operations were reported in 51 (14.9%) patients and 11 (3.2%) patients had permanent functional disabilities, and 46 (13.4%) patients passed away. In the second group, all patients were treated with urgent explorative laparotomy, 17 (27%) patients suffered from complications, re-operation occurred in 13 (20.6%) patients, permeant functional disability occurred in 17 (27%) patients, and mortality was seen in 16 (25.4%) patients. Conclusion: Our clinical experience has shown that mortality rates and long-term disability occur at a higher rate in pelvic gunshot injuries therefore early senior surgeon input is mandatory for the potential poor outcome to be minimized.