Aide memoire for the management of gunshot wounds.

The hospitals in Johannesburg deal with about 4,000 gunshot wounds a year. Although most are from hand guns, a number are from high velocity, military-type weapons. Extensive experience has been built up and many lessons learned. Attention is directed to the actual damage inflicted rather than on theoretical predictions based on presumed velocity of the bullets involved, as this can often be misleading. Some patients are delayed in their presentation to emergency departments, in other cases several gunshot wound patients arrive at the same time, requiring appropriate triage and urgent management.