Background: We aimed in this study to investigate the relationship between Injury Severity Score (ISS) and transfusion strategies required during medical intervention in patients wounded by high kinetic energy (HKE) gunshot, and to analyze end-mode mortality.
Methods: The medical data of patients were included in the study. We evaluated whether there was any significant correlation in terms of demographic characteristics, HKE weapon type, ISSs, and transfusion strategy options and transfusion requirements.
Results: Causes of mortality in cases resulting in mortality during hospitalization were evaluated. One hundred and eight consecutive patients were included in the study. All patients except one were male, with an average age of 25 years. 64.8% of them were injured by long-barreled firearms, whereas 35.2% were injured by explosives. Average ISS was 13.9. ISS values for the patients with and without transfusion were 16 (5-48) and 9 (3-36), respectively. Causes of mortality were evaluated in terms of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS).
Discussion: It was determined that there was a significant correlation between increase in ISS values in cases with HKE weapon wounds and their transfusion requirements, whereas this requirement was independent of the ISS value in cases with explosive wounds.