Shotgun injuries in South Auckland

Three patients presenting with shotgun injuries at Middlemore Hospital during 1979 are described. The important features of such wounds are described and management is discussed emphasising that thorough debridement and removal of foreign bodies are essential in close-range wounds, that many wounds can be closed primarily or within the first three or four days, and that medium to long-range injuries of the thorax and abdomen can be treated expectantly.