According to 2007 data, gunshot wounds from homicides, suicides, and accidents caused 31,000 deaths in the United States, with even higher numbers of serious, nonfatal injuries. In recent years, new evidence on effective treatment of patients with gunshot wounds has come from military settings and is being adapted for civilian emergency departments (EDs). Effective, evidence-based management of...

Dear Sir, Although firearm injuries are rare among penetrating traumas in children, they are very important in terms of their complications. Many thoracic complications may arise during spinal trauma caused by gunshot wounds.[1] Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is one of the serious complications of gunshot wounds.[1] Here, we present a 10‐year‐old girl admitted to our Pediatric Intensive Care Un...

We experienced a rare case with multiple gunshot entrance wounds due to a single bullet. A 60-year-old male hunter was accidentally shot by other hunter with a hunting shotgun from a long distance (about 70 m). The external examination showed two entrance wounds on his left knee and left lower fore chest, in spite of a single gunshot. By the autopsy, the extensive injuries to his organs such as...

Introduction Syndromic surveillance has demonstrated utility for situational awareness for non-infectious conditions, including tracking and monitoring gun-related violence and homicides1. While New York State reports an overall decrease in gun-related crimes2, in NYC identifying smaller scale aberrations of gunshot-related violence can prompt more efficient response by city groups. We examined...

A retrospective review of 406 suicidal gunshot wounds to the head, investigated at the Medico-Legal Laboratory of Pretoria, between 1997 and 2000 was performed. Fifty-seven percent of fatal suicidal firearm injury to the head occurred in the 21- to 40-year age range in both male and female victims. Eighty-two percent of all these victims of suicidal firearm fatalities to the head were male. Of ...

Low-velocity firearms represent the majority of civilian gunshot wounds to the hand, yet much of the literature is based on high-velocity injuries. The authors reviewed their treatment regimen for civilian gunshot wounds to the hand and offer a treatment algorithm that emphasizes early debridement and fracture stabilization. They also address the economic impact on society. The authors reviewed...

Current best evidence supports observation for peripheral nerve palsies following a fracture of the humerus unless associated with an open fracture. However, the indications for nerve exploration with humerus gunshot fractures are unclear. All patients aged 18 to 89 years who were treated for a gunshot fracture of the humerus at an academic trauma center between 2004 and 2008 were retrospective...

INTRODUCTION Civilian penetrating gunshot injuries to the neurocranium are no longer uncommon in Nigeria. Such injuries are however poorly reported. They are associated with poor outcome and, at close range, are frequently fatal, especially when inflicted by high-velocity weapons. Prompt transfer to neurosurgical service and urgent intervention may improve outcome in those that are not mortally...

In recent years, forensic scientists have become increasingly interested in the detection and interpretation of organic gunshot residues (OGSR) due to the increasing use of lead- and heavy metal-free ammunition. This has also been prompted by the identification of gunshot residue- (GSR-) like particles in environmental and occupational samples. Various techniques have been investigated for thei...