ABDOMINAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS

Course overview

AN ABDOMINAL GUNSHOT WOUND IS A MULTISYSTEMIC, TRAUMATIC INJURY THAT COMMONLY CAUSES HIGH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. PRACTITIONERS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT EMERGENT SURGICAL EVALUATION IS WARRANTED WHEN HEMODYNAMIC INSTABILITY PERSISTS AND EVIDENCE OF PERITONITIS IS PRESENT. THIS WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED RECOGNITION OF POTENTIAL ABNORMALITIES WHICH, IN TURN, WILL DICTATE TREATMENT STRATEGIES AND IMPROVE PATIENT OUTCOMES. THIS REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF THIS EMERGENCY SITUATION.