Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers

Abstract Objective To evaluate and describe musculoskeletal injuries by firearms in children and adolescents attended in a major trauma center. Methods This was a retrospective study that evaluated the medical records of < 18 years old patients who were victims of injuries by firearms and who p...

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Main Authors: Renato Fedatto Beraldo, Edilson Forlin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Series:Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbort/v54n6/1982-4378-rbort-54-06-0685.pdf
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author Renato Fedatto Beraldo
Edilson Forlin
author_facet Renato Fedatto Beraldo
Edilson Forlin
author_sort Renato Fedatto Beraldo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Objective To evaluate and describe musculoskeletal injuries by firearms in children and adolescents attended in a major trauma center. Methods This was a retrospective study that evaluated the medical records of < 18 years old patients who were victims of injuries by firearms and who presented to the emergency department of our hospital, from January 2014 to December 2016. A total of 51 patients were excluded for not showing musculoskeletal injures or for other reasons, while 126 were included. The collected data were: gender; age; way of admission; body site hit; fractures; complications and sequelae; associated injures; hospitalization time; surgeries; deaths. Results Out of 126 patients included, 107 were male (84.9%) and 19 were female (15.1%). The mean age was 15 years and 5 months old (range: 2y + 8 months to 17y + 11 months years old). A total of 70 patients were hospitalized (55.6%), with a mean hospital stay of 9.6 days, and 21 patients were hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a mean of 14.7 days. A total of 37 patients needed orthopedic surgery (29.4%). There were 6 deaths (4.8%). The thigh was the most hit region, in 43 injuries (24.7%). Six patients had spinal cord sequelae, and eight patients had peripheral nerves injuries. A total of 58 patients (46%) had 71 fractures, and the femur was the most hit (15.5%). A total of 52 (41.3%) patients presented with associated injuries. In the 71 fractures, the treatment was conservative in 45 (63.4%), surgical in 23 (32.4%). Three injuries resulted in death (4.2%). Conclusion Adolescents and males are at-risk groups for firearms injuries, and the lesions are mainly on the lower limbs. Less than half of the patients had fractures, but many had complex lesions with potential for severe sequelae.
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spelling doaj.art-0a356e6995d440ca9083c03b7d4b7ab32024-04-03T08:56:39ZengThieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia1982-437810.1055/s-0039-1697021Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and TeenagersRenato Fedatto BeraldoEdilson ForlinAbstract Objective To evaluate and describe musculoskeletal injuries by firearms in children and adolescents attended in a major trauma center. Methods This was a retrospective study that evaluated the medical records of < 18 years old patients who were victims of injuries by firearms and who presented to the emergency department of our hospital, from January 2014 to December 2016. A total of 51 patients were excluded for not showing musculoskeletal injures or for other reasons, while 126 were included. The collected data were: gender; age; way of admission; body site hit; fractures; complications and sequelae; associated injures; hospitalization time; surgeries; deaths. Results Out of 126 patients included, 107 were male (84.9%) and 19 were female (15.1%). The mean age was 15 years and 5 months old (range: 2y + 8 months to 17y + 11 months years old). A total of 70 patients were hospitalized (55.6%), with a mean hospital stay of 9.6 days, and 21 patients were hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a mean of 14.7 days. A total of 37 patients needed orthopedic surgery (29.4%). There were 6 deaths (4.8%). The thigh was the most hit region, in 43 injuries (24.7%). Six patients had spinal cord sequelae, and eight patients had peripheral nerves injuries. A total of 58 patients (46%) had 71 fractures, and the femur was the most hit (15.5%). A total of 52 (41.3%) patients presented with associated injuries. In the 71 fractures, the treatment was conservative in 45 (63.4%), surgical in 23 (32.4%). Three injuries resulted in death (4.2%). Conclusion Adolescents and males are at-risk groups for firearms injuries, and the lesions are mainly on the lower limbs. Less than half of the patients had fractures, but many had complex lesions with potential for severe sequelae.http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbort/v54n6/1982-4378-rbort-54-06-0685.pdffirearmsmusculoskeletal system/injurieschildadolescent
spellingShingle Renato Fedatto Beraldo
Edilson Forlin
Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers
Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia
firearms
musculoskeletal system/injuries
child
adolescent
title Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers
title_full Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers
title_fullStr Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers
title_full_unstemmed Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers
title_short Firearm-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Brazilian Children and Teenagers
title_sort firearm related musculoskeletal injuries in brazilian children and teenagers
topic firearms
musculoskeletal system/injuries
child
adolescent
url http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbort/v54n6/1982-4378-rbort-54-06-0685.pdf
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