analysis of children brought to the emergency department due to gunshot injuries: a 7-year retrospective analysis

Background: gunshot injuries (gsis), a serious public health problem, can affect the pediatric age group and adults. objectives: this study aimed to describe the injuries that occurred in children aged 0-16 years who were brought to the emergency department (ed) of şehitkamil state hospital in gaziantep, turkey, due to gsis. methods: this descriptive-retrospective study was conducted in the ed of the child trauma center of gaziantep. this study retrospectively reviewed the records of children aged 0 - 16 years admitted to the ed with gsis from 01/01/2014 to 30/09/2020. results: a total of 66 gsi cases were included in the study. the most common injury was in the abdominal region. internal organ/vessel/bone injuries were detected in 59.1% of the cases (n = 39). surgical treatment was applied to 60.6% of the cases (n = 40) within 7 days. the mortality rate was 12.1% (n = 8). the length of stay in the trauma unit was 4.34 ± 4.33 days. conclusion: most injuries are detected in the abdomen. gsi was more common in boys. the prognosis is worse in those with internal organ/vascular/bone injuries. these patients have higher mortality, longer hospital stay, and a higher rate of surgical operation.