OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of indirect spinal column injury in patients sustaining gunshot wounds to the head. METHODS A retrospective review of patient records and autopsy reports was conducted of patients admitted with gunshot wounds to the head between July of 1990 and September of 1995 were included. Those with gunshot wounds to the neck and those w...

In patients presenting with gunshot wounds, a high clinical suspicion of injury to vasculature and viscera remote from the projectile track is paramount. We present a case of a 17 year old male who sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen and subsequently developed a right external iliac artery contusion requiring surgery as an indirect effect of the pressure wave from the bullet.

Thoracic trauma occurs frequently but seldom requires surgery (10-20%, [1]). The mortality rate for gunshot wound of the chest varies from 14.3 to 36.8% [2]. We report, herein an example of bullet injury to the pulmonary artery (PA) following a thoracic gunshot wound. This patient had previous history of coronary surgery. Absolute and relative indications for exploratory thoracotomy in emergenc...

Each reader is first asked to reflect upon the question: "Is a non killing society possible?" If not, why not? If yes, why?l For the purpose of the question, a non killing society is taken to be a human commu­ nity from smallest to largest encompassing all humankind that has the following characteristics: There is no killing of humans, at least, and no threats to kill. There are no weapons for ...

BACKGROUND Low-velocity rubber bullets were used by Israeli police to control riots by Israeli-Arabs in early October, 2000. We aimed to establish the factors that contribute to severity of blunt and penetrating injuries caused by these missiles. METHODS We analysed medical records of 595 casualties admitted. We assessed relation of severity of injury to type of bullet, anatomical region of i...

The immediate effects depend on the size, shape, type, velocity and track of the missile. A high velocity rifle or machine-gun bullet entering the chest through an intercostal space and making its way out through a posterior space may occasion, apart from the initial shock, little disability and with luck no complications. A small more slowly moving vulnerant may produce a punctured wound such ...

Gunshot injuries are a rare cause of vascular injury in the pediatric age group, mostly occurring accidentally. They very serious and could even be life- or limb-threatening, with slow- velocity bullets. Here, we report two cases induced by different types weapons. The first case was four-year-old boy who presented left axillary artery caused gunshot bullet. diagnosis made computerized tomograp...