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

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.