Gun shot wounds are an act of violence that often results in paralysis. Survivors who are shot are often in their teens and twenties, and about 80 percent are men.
Why Gun Shot Wounds Can Result in Paralysis
When a victim is shot in the area of the spinal cord, the penetration of the bullet can cause the spinal cord to be severed, sheared, torn, crushed, or otherwise damaged. This will result in a loss of function below the point of injury. The extent of the injury, as well as where the injury occurred, will determine whether the injury is complete or incomplete. Complete injuries result in total loss of function, while incomplete injuries result in some degree of function loss.
Treatment of Gun Shot Wounds
In many cases, the victim has other injuries in addition to the spinal cord injury. In addition to taking care of wounds and other complications related to the shooting, it’s necessary that the medical team attend the spinal cord injury as soon as possible to facilitate the best long-term outcome possible.