Pattern of firearm injuries in head and neck regions at a tertiary care hospital

Objective: to determine the characteristics of firearm injuries on head and neck in patients presenting to the ear nose and throat department of a tertiary care hospital. methods: this prospective,cross-sectional study was conducted at the lady reading hospital,peshawar,from june 2014 to may 2015,and comprised victims of firearm injuries. they were subjected to a thorough examination of the wounds specifically and the rest of the ear,nose and throat,head and neck regions generally. data was collected on a proforma. spss 16 was used for data analysis. results: out of the 56 patients,49(87.5%) were men. the overall mean age was 28.68±1.63 years (range: 6-80 years. besides,33(58.9%) patients were in the age range 20-40 years followed by 18(32.1%) below 20 years. overall,27(48.2%) patients were jobless and 24(42.9%) had education below grade ten. pistol was the most commonly-used weapon in 28(50%).hospital stay was 2-10 days with a mean of 4.37±1.74 days. single-entry wound on the neck was common 21(37.5%),predominantly on the right side 24(42.9%),while there were 33(58.9%) single-exit wounds,affecting neck in 18(32.1%) cases and on the left side in 19(33.9%). conclusion: firearm injuries were common among young men who were illiterate and poor socioeconomically. homicidal injuries mostly occurred during the daytime. pistol was the most commonly-used weapon,while wounds on the neck were more common. © 2016,pakistan medical association. all rights reserved.