Background: Trauma and deaths from Gunshot Injury (GSI) are on the increase worldwide with increasing cost of management. This study was stimulated when six young men were brought dead to our emergency room in quick successions due to GSI in a suspected gang related and reprisal attacks. This study focused on the causes and pattern of gunshot injuries in Ado-Ekiti and compared it with a previous study done at the same centre and also suggested possible strategies to prevent these injuries.
Methods: A prospective study at a tertiary hospital between January 2018 and May 2019. Information was obtained at presentation and on discharge. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16.
Results: 9,457 patients presented with trauma and 79 had GSI over 17 months compared to 38 GSI seen 14 years ago in a 22-month period. Seventy-two males and 3 females, M:F, 25:1 and age range of 2-57 years with mean of 36.0 ± 9.8 years. Armed robbery attack was the major cause of GSI as in previous study while new causes in this study include gang related attacks, political violence, communal clashes and injuries caused by herdsmen. Mortality, 17 (21.5%) was higher compared with 5 (13.5%) in the previous study.
Conclusion: There were more cases of GSI than the previous study with new causes like gang related attacks as observed in this study. Mortality was higher compared with previous study.
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The Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research is a bi-monthly multidisciplinary medical journal.