Violence and its implications: analysis of some consequences of shotgun and other weapons wounds

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to describe some characteristics of the victims of incidents caused by shotgun and otherweapons, and to dcscribc theattackcircunstancies,the impacton the survivor,the behaviors during thc recovery phasc, thc family rcaction, the socio-functional rcadaptation ofthc traumatized and thcir pcrspectives toward the future. 19 subjccts wcre studied, 18 malc and onc fcmalc,73,68% victims of gunshot and 26,31% victims of knife and other weapons wounds, ali of them assisted in the Department of Trauma of the University of Campinas Medical School. Ali subjects come from low socio-cultural levei. The main result pointed out a few vietims ofwounds caused by assalt, being the most frequently caused by problems inrelationship, figths and pcrsonnal disagrement. Thc most part ofthc subjets declared not want to vindicatc ncither go to thc police. Thc rcsults show thc prcsencc of Pos-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with depression and aphaty. Thc subjectsshowed poor possibilitics ofsocio-functional rccovery and readaptation and a very narrow perspective toward the future.