GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE HAND - THE MARTIN-LUTHER-KING-JR-GENERAL-HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE

This article is a retrospective review of patients who presented to Ma rtin Luther King, Jr./Drew Medical Center with gunshot wounds and had either isolated or associated injuries to the hand. The following is a n account of those injuries noting the location, soft-tissue or bony i nvolvement, and interventional methods that were implemented in the tr eatment of these patients who resided primarily in South Central Los A ngeles. Prompt evaluation and initiation of treatment is essential in the management of both high- and low-velocity gunshot wounds so as to decrease the potential morbidity that often follows. Society must also look at the prevalence of these injuries and address the underlying i ssues that often are the root of the acts of violence.