Penetrating craniocerebral gunshot wounds in civilians.

In spite of speedy transfer, only 18 percent of patients with penetrating craniocerebral gunshot wounds survived long enough to reach a neurosurgeon; the mortality among these was 79 percent. Mortality was 22 percent in patients conscious on admission, but 93 percent in patients unconscious on admission. True mortality from penetrating craniocerebral gunshot wounds in civilians seems to be extremely high; in this catchment area it was about 97 percent.