The attempted assassination of President Reagan. Medical implications and historical perspective.

Abstract

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan became the first incumbent president of the United States to survive being struck by a would-be assassin's bullet. Had President Reagan not survived, the history of this country and the world most certainly would have been changed. This report is the only first-hand account of the details of his medical care and complications following the assassination attempt, an event that emphasizes the vulnerability of presidents to would-be assassins and the importance of readily available expert medical care and facilities to their survival.