Gunshot wounds to the head: gang- and non-gang-related injuries and outcomes

Primary objective: This study examined the differences between gang and non-gang-related incidents of penetrative missile injuries in terms of demographics, motivation, intra-cranial pathology, transit time, injury time and clinical outcome. Research design: Retrospective and prospective chart review. Methods and procedures: Between 1985–1992, 349 patients with penetrating missile injuries to the brain presenting to LAC-USC were studied. Experimental interventions: Inclusion criteria were implemented to keep the cohort as homogenous as possible. Patients excluded were those with multiple gunshot wounds, non-penetrating gunshot wounds to the head, systemic injuries and cases in which the motivation for the incident was unknown. Main outcomes and results: Gang-related shooting slightly out-numbered non-gang-related incidents. Demographic analysis showed both a male and Hispanic predominance for both gang- and non-gang-related victims and significant differences in gender, race and age. Occipital entrance si...