PATTERN OF FIREARM INJURIES AMONG POPULATION OF RAWALPINDI DISTRICT

Abstract

Background: Pattern or manner of injuries due to firearm weapon includes homicidal, suicidal and accidental. The distribution of injuries is described as the part of different body area injured due to firearm.

Objective: To determine frequency of types of firearm injuries.

To determine frequency of distribution and demography of patients presenting with firearm injuries.

Study Design: This is cross sectional study

Settings: This research was carried in District head quarter hospital in Rawalpindi.

Duration: Six months

Methodology: All the firearm injury cases regardless of age and gender were included in the study. While cases of other injuries like accident emergency, explosive injuries, stab wound etc. had been excluded from this study. The data entered and analyzed in SPSS, version 23.

Results: Total 105 different firearm cases were admitted or brought to the emergency unit during the study duration. Mean age of most (30.1%) of the cases belongs to the age group 30-39 years. Majority (86.57%) of them were male. While the mean age of cases was 34.33±13.5 years. More than half of fire arm injury or gunshot cases were homicidal in origin followed by accidental and suicidal. Homicide and accident cases predominantly belongs to age range of 20-29 years while suicidal origin injury cases were prominently from 15-30 years. Upper and lower extremities (50.35%) are the most common injury location and a single bullet hole was the most common as majority (62.62%) cases had single hole entry wounds. The mortality rate in the study was 13.67%.

Conclusion: The high incidence of young age adults between age (20 to 39 years) with male predominance is common in firearm injury cases. Homicidal origin of firearm injuries is very common. Limbs are the most commonly injuries regions of the body.