Comparative analysis of inflammatory complications after firearm injuries of the cerebrum in two clinics with different surgical behaviours

Injuries in the cerebrum caused by firearm shots are found to be more and more in our everyday life. The mortality rate is high (40 - 90 %) regardless of the differences in the therapy applied according to the viewpoints of the surgeons. The valuation of the results is contradictory due to the difficulties to set up systematized groups for these appraisals. Some of the severe complications, which aggravate the process of recovery on the days after the trauma, are the suppurations of the wounds and the purulent meningoencephalitis. The aim of this study is to compare the inflammatory complications after injuries caused by firearm shots in the head according to their type and severity in two clinics with different surgical behaviour. The study involved 30 patients in the Clinic of Emergency Neurosurgery at the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, during a 7-year period, and 11 patients hospitalized at the Clinic of Neurosurgery in the city of Tours, France, during a 3-year period. At the group of the Military Medical Academy suppuration of the wounds was found in 2 patients without development of cerebral infection. At the Neurosurgical Clinic in Tours, France, 4 patients developed meningoencephalitis and three died (p<0.001). The comparative analysis gives grounds to draw a conclusion that the inflammatory complications of the cerebrum after gunshot injuries have a direct relation to the operative procedure. In order to avert these complications, it is necessary to have aggressive surgical behaviour: elimination of devitalized soft tissues, craniectomy around the inlet and outlet openings, revision of the brain wound in depth of 3-4 cm and hermetic closure of the dura. (authors)