Extremity handgun injuries in children and adolescents

The majority of gunshot wounds in the urban pediatric population are inflicted by handguns. This study reviewed the trauma center management of 66 handgun injuries to the upper and lower extremities among 51 children who were aged < or =16 years. As expected, gunshot wounds were more frequent in adolescent males and were usually intentional. About half of the children had police records prior to the gunshot wounds. Fifty-two percent of the extremity handgun injuries resulted in fractures, most commonly to the tibia or forearm. Seventy-nine orthopedic procedures were recorded with an average hospital stay of 4.3 days. Permanent morbidity was undoubtedly underestimated due to poor long-term follow-up.