Gunshot to the Head

Occasionally, we encounter a patient with a gunshot wound to the head who is awake and alert.  These patients should still have a CT of the head.

A review of patients with GSW head and GCS of 15 showed:

• 41% of these patients had an intracranial bleed of some sort
• 14% of these patients required an intervention  (1/3 of the patients with a bleed)

These numbers held true regardless of whether or not the patient had lost consciousness.