ABC of major trauma. Blast and gunshot injuries.

ABC of major trauma. Blast and gunshot injuries.

Doctors and nurses treating patients who have blast or gunshot injuries should remember that in nearly all cases there will be forensic or medicolegal consequences and that, although patient care is of prime importance, they have certain duties to record information with these consequences in mind. Such information may be required in subsequent legal prosecution or to help the victims to obtain...

ABC of major trauma. Head injuries--II.

* Confusion or any other depression of consciousness at the time of the examination * Skull fracture * Neurological symptoms or signs, or both * Difficulty in assessing the patient-for example, because of ingestion of alcohol, epilepsy, or other medical conditions that cloud consciousness; children are also difficult to assess * Lack of a responsible adult to supervise the patient and other soc...

Rectal penetrating injuries from blast trauma.

A civilian perspective on ballistic trauma and gunshot injuries

BACKGROUND Gun violence is on the rise in some European countries, however most of the literature on gunshot injuries pertains to military weaponry and is difficult to apply to civilians, due to dissimilarities in wound contamination and wounding potential of firearms and ammunition. Gunshot injuries in civilians have more focal injury patterns and should be considered distinct entities. METH...

ABC of major trauma. Trauma of the lower urinary tract.

Mechanism of direct blunt renal trauma. An external force (F,) may crush the kidney (K) between the 12th rib and the vertebral column, or a force (F2) may crush the kidney against the paravertebral muscles (quadratus lumborum (QL) or psoas major (in position P but deleted from diagram). In the United Kingdom over 90% of renal injuries are a result of blunt abdominal trauma. Important associated...