P. Phillips et al., GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE HAND - THE MARTIN-LUTHER-KING-JR-GENERAL-HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE, The Orthopedic clinics of North America, 26(1), 1995, pp. 95-108
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.