[Gunshot wounds. Therapeutic possibilities in a developing African country]

This report is based on experience with the treatment of 135 patients who had sustained mainly gunshot injuries but also injuries from mines and hand grenades. The different sorts of the therapy were directly dependent on the different injury causes. Second- and third-grade fractures caused by middle and high velocity projectiles were treated by the open method, external fixation, debridement and draining. The therapy of choice is the application of a fixateur externe (external fixation). The prognosis after fixation with further treatment as needed was very good, even when not performed until several weeks after the injury, especially in the restitution of extremity continuity, which can sometimes help to prevent unnecessary amputations, especially of the upper extremities.