The Pattern of Civilian Gunshot Injuries at a University Hospital in North Central Nigeria

Gunshot injuries are a special category of trauma with a high potential for death and hospitalization. The objective of this study is to highlight their pattern and treatment outcome. This was a prospective study of all patients admitted through the Accident and Emergency Department of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Nigeria with gunshot injuries between July 2012 and June 2014. Data obtained were analyzed using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows version 15.0 (SPSS, Inc; Chicago, Illinois).Sixty-two patients with gunshot injuries were included in the study. There were 49 males (79%) and a male-to-female ratio of 3.8:1. Their ages ranged from 4 to 65 years and the modal age group was 20-29 years. Communal clashes (n=29, 46.8%) were the predominant circumstances surrounding the injuries, followed by armed robbery attacks (n=18, 29%) and student cult violence (n=8, 12.9%). The most commonly involved body region was the upper limb (n=20, 29%). Isolated soft tissue injuries (n=38, 55.1%) were the predominant injury type sustained by patients in this study. The patients with fractures had debridement and fracture stabilization with external fixation (n=3, 4.7%), casting (n=3, 4.7%) and percutaneous K-wire fixation (n=1, 1.6%). Majority of patients (n=54, 78.3%) were treated and discharged while four (6.5%) left against medical advice. Mortality rate was 3.2%.Gunshot injuries mostly affected adult males with communal clashes being the leading cause. Instituting efficient conflict resolution channels and establishing trauma centers to promptly treat the injured may help reduce the menace of gun violence.