Incidence of cervical spine injury in patients with gunshot wounds to the head.

Cervical spine immobilization is standard during the early stages of prehospital and hospital care of patients with blunt head injury. However, the need for cervical spine immobilization in patients with gunshot wounds to the head has not been addressed. To determine the incidence and types of cervical spine injury in this group, we retrospectively examined the records of 308 consecutive patients who had computed tomographic (CT) scans of the head to evaluate brain injury after gunshot wounds.

Management of penetrating colon injuries.

The management of colon injuries remains an area of major controversy. Selecting the patients who can undergo primary repair safely remains undefined. To address this issue, 231 consecutive patients with penetrating colon injuries were reviewed to determine those factors that affected outcome.

The Glasgow Coma Scale and prognosis in gunshot wounds to the brain.

To determine which factors predict survival in patients with gunshot wounds to the brain, 192 patients who had intracranial injury demonstrated on computed tomographic (CT) scanning were retrospectively reviewed. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores on admission seemed to be the most important factor in predicting survival. Age, the presence of extruded brain, and use of a shotgun could not be shown to be factors independent of admission GCS score.

Firearm injuries in girls and women. The unaddressed imperative.

Objective: To describe the trends in firearm fatalities in California between 1987 and 1991 and the 153 firearm injuries in girls and women treated at the King/Drew Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif, from September 1, 1991, to December 31, 1992.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: The study was conducted at the King/Drew Medical Center, a university-based county hospital, one of the major trauma centers in Los Angeles.

Management of extraperitoneal rectal injuries.

Twenty-eight consecutive extraperitoneal rectal injuries for a period of 34 months ending in May 1990 were reviewed retrospectively. All injuries were due to penetrating gunshot wounds. The rectal exam was positive in 75% of patients versus 80.