Citation

Gaboriau HP, Kreutziger KL. J. La. State Med. Soc. 1998; 150(1): 6-9.

Affiliation

Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, La., USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Louisiana State Medical Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9448378

Abstract

In dealing with gunshot wounds to the face, the emergency department physician should have a basic knowledge of ballistics. Securing an airway (either intubation or surgical airway) should be the top priority. The location of the wound dictates which patient should be intubated. Plain x-ray films of the face and skull, as well as CT scan in certain situations, allow determination of the extent of damages to the skeleton as well as intracranial injuries. Clinical symptoms suggesting an underlying vascular injury require an angiogram. After thorough debridement of the wounds, fractures are treated either with open-reduction and internal fixation or closed-reduction and intermaxillary fixation.

Language: en