After the shooting stops: Follow-up on victims of an assault rifle attach

Objective: To determine long-term medical, social, and psychological outcome of survivors of a multiple-shooting mass casualty disaster. Design: A case-study review was performed 42 months after injury involving chart reviews and patient interviews. Participants: Survivors of a multiple shooting. Main Outcome Measures: The need for primary operative treatment, subsequent operations, and medical treatment related to the injuries, current work status, and psychological impact of injury was determined. Results: Thirteen patients required operation initially; 12 are long-term survivors. Eight have returned to work, Most of the victims reported experiencing psychological and emotional problems. Conclusions: Despite a well-functioning trauma system that maximized survival from devastating injury, considerable longterm morbidity and disability persists, Efforts at prevention of mass casualties seem to be the only potential solution.