Management of missile wounds of the maxillofacial region during the 20th century.

Abstract

Rapid evacuation from the scene of injury, the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocol and advancements in medical and surgical practice afford high standards of care for maxillofacial gunshot wounds (GSWs). This series of nine case reports illustrates both the changes that have occurred and the similarities that remain in the management of these wounds since the First World War. It serves as a reminder of the problems that may be faced managing maxillofacial injuries both in a future conventional war and also increasingly in the civilian population.