Article

Shotgun Wound Patterns

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Abstract

Relatively little has been published in the world literature on shotgun wound interpretation and ballistics. Since only few medical centers see a large number of shotgun injuries, less experienced examiners may be misled easily hi their interpretation of such wounds, particularly with regard to estimates of distance, with grave implications as to judicial consequences. The peculiarities of the shotgun and the shot shell frequently permit more accurate range estimates than do hand weapons, especially for ranges beyond 1 ft. Choke is the most important variable factor influencing the shot scatter pattern in the average medicolegal case, whereas gauge has little effect on pattern size. The most accurate estimation of range is achieved by test firing the same gun and ammunition at varying ranges to compare the spread with the entrance wound. The wound characteristics largely depend upon the distance. Close range shots make a single punched out entrance hole that increases in size proportionally to the range until individual pellets enter the target. Concomitantly, the internal injuries vary, ranging from complete destruction of the target organ at close range to individual pellet wounds at greater distances. However, it is important to realize that pellet scatter patterns within the body may be similar in diameter in both close range and distant shots. Because of this similarity, estimation of range based upon body roentgenograms has been found to be less reliable than was believed previously and, indeed, may be very misleading. Exit wounds are very rare, even at contact range, and occur only hi tangential shots, when thinner portions of the body are injured, or with the use of large pellets (buckshot).

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... calibre. 31,[62][63][64] In general, the higher the gauge number, the smaller the barrel diameter. 31,64 Shotguns fire either multiple pellets or a single large projectile called a slug. ...
... 31,64 Shotguns fire either multiple pellets or a single large projectile called a slug. 30,31,[62][63][64] Pellets are contained within the shotgun cartridge called a shell, and are collectively known as the shot (Fig. 6) 63 ; their number depends on their size and the gauge of the gun. 62 Magnum shotgun shells contain more propellant and a heavier charge of shot (more pellets). ...
... 30,31,[62][63][64] Pellets are contained within the shotgun cartridge called a shell, and are collectively known as the shot (Fig. 6) 63 ; their number depends on their size and the gauge of the gun. 62 Magnum shotgun shells contain more propellant and a heavier charge of shot (more pellets). 31 In general, pellets range in diameter from 1 to 10 mm, falling into two major categories, the more common birdshot, which refers to smaller shot size, and buckshot. ...
Article
Firearm-related injuries are caused by a wide variety of weapons and projectiles. The kinetic energy of the penetrating projectile defines its ability to disrupt and displace tissue, whereas the actual tissue damage is determined by the mode of energy release during the projectile-tissue interaction and the particular characteristics of the tissues and organs involved. Certain projectile factors, namely shape, construction, and stability, greatly influence the rate of energy transfer to the tissues along the wound track. Two zones of tissue damage can be identified, the permanent cavity created by the passage of the bullet and a potential area of contused tissue surrounding it, produced mainly by temporary cavitation which is a manifestation of effective high-energy transfer to tissue. Due to the complex nature of these injuries, wound assessment and the type and extent of treatment required should be based on an understanding of the various mechanisms contributing to tissue damage.
... Av tüfekleri "düşük hızlı" mermi grubu içinde yer almalarına karşın, gerçekte namlu çıkış hızları tabanca mermilerine göre daha yüksektir (400 m/sn) (Breitenecker, 1969). Av fişekleri içerisinde yer alan saçma taneleri, çap ve yapılarına göre farklı delme (penetrasyon) özelliğine sahiptir. ...
... Dokuların içine giren yüzlerce saçma tanesi, tabanca ve piyade tüfeği mermisine oranla dokuya daha çok kinetik enerji transfer ederek tahribatın şiddetini artırır. Ayrıca bu saçma tanelerinin her biri bağımsız bir mermi çekirdeği gibi davranarak yaralanan organ sayısını ve aynı organda meydana gelen perforasyon (delip geçme/ tam delinme) sayısını yükseltir (Breitenecker, 1969), (Wasserberger, 1988). Domuz saçması olarak halk arasında bilinen buckshot, (geyik saçması), 4-12 mm arasında 9 değişik çapta üretilmektedir. ...
Article
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Ateşli silah yaralanmalarının mekanizması, tedavi yöntemleri, bireysel balistik koruma ekipmanları ve mühimmat etkinlikleri üzerine bilimsel çalışmaları konu alan Yara Balistiği bilimi, Dr. Theodor Kocher’in çalışmaları ile başlamıştır. Kocher, yaptığı çalışmalarla uluslararası savaş hukukunun da temellerini atmıştır. Modern yara balistiği, hukuk, balistik ve tıp bilimlerinin ortak çalışma alanıdır. Yara balistiği bilimi, bu disiplinler arası yapısından dolayı tüm dünyada farklı alan uzmanlarının bir araya geldiği çalışma grupları veya özelleşmiş enstitüler tarafından çalışılmaktadır. Bu çalışma kapsamında ateşli silah yaralanmalarının üç temel mekanizması üzerinde durulmuştur; Delme (Penetrasyon), Geçici Kavite (Blast Etki) ve Parçalanma. Delme, mermi çekirdeğinin ve şarapnelin dokular üzerindeki ilk ve temel etkisidir. Bir mermi çekirdeğinin dokuyu delebilmesi için dokunun elastikiyet sınırını aşabilecek bir hız ile isabet etmesi gerekmektedir. Bu hıza dokunun “Eşik Hız” değeri denir. Hedefin etkisiz hale gelmesi için mermi çekirdeğinin en az 30 cm uzunluğunda kavite açması gerekir, bu sırada deldiği her bir dokunun eşik hızları toplamı “Kritik Hız” değerini oluşturmaktadır. Her bir dokunun, mermi çekirdeği üzerinde yaralanma özelinde kritik hız sınırı hesaplanmalıdır. Ateşli silah yaralanmasının ikinci önemli mekanizması ise Blast etki sonucu oluşan Geçici Kavite’dir. Bir mermi çekirdeğinin kavite boyunca yer alan dokulara aktardığı kinetik enerji miktarı, blast etkinin ölçeğini belirlemektedir. Blast etki, yüksek kinetik enerjili uzun namlulu ateşli silah mermi çekirdeği yaralanmaları ile kısa namlulu ateşli silah mermi çekirdeği yaralanmaları arasındaki temel farkı oluşturmaktadır. Bu fark, ateşli silah yaralanmasının tedavisinde ve balistik koruyucu ekipmanların tasarlanmasında kritik öneme haizdir. Çalışma kapsamında ele alınan üçüncü ateşli silah yaralanma mekanizması ise Parçalanma’dır. Mermi çekirdeğinin doku dışında veya doku içerisinde parçalanmasına bağlı olarak yaralanmanın şiddeti artmaktadır. Bu mekanizmaların bilinmesi ile ateşli silah yaralanmalarına müdahale etkinliği artacağı gibi koruma teknolojilerinin de gelişimi de sağlanacaktır.
... As the range increases pellets may spread. 2 Definitive management of patient with shotgun injury is controversial and it may depend upon the site of impact and the nature of injury. ...
Article
Full-text available
The shotgun is used for bird hunting in rural areas of India. Its accuracy is usually 30 metres. Accidental injuries due to shotgun pellets are not very common. Shotgun has the tendency to disperse into pellets after hitting an object tangentially or after travelling a certain distance. These pellets are made of lead but steel, tungsten and bismuth pellets are also used. There is no consensus in terms of removing or retaining foreign bodies such as the pellets. These pellets can travel to distant organs that are difficult to access by surgery. As a result surgical intervention in such patients can produce more harm than good. But leaving the pellets can lead to long term side effects like lead poisoning. In this report, we present a 32 years old male who suffered accidental shotgun injury from close range inspite of which the pellets got dispersed all over his body.
... The deceased received the gunshot from contact range. The absence of any other injuries except the only mentioned gunshot injury suggested no any kind of struggle with the deceased [3]. ...
... The mean ECD-values of the patterns of all tested shot sizes increased when shot through guitar bags. Pattern enlargement caused by intermediate targets was to be expected, as it was described before by Karapirli et al. [10] (for regular, tempered and mica glass, fiberboard, aluminum and steel sheet and cotton fabric), Breitenecker [11] (for glass, wood and screen), DiMaio [12] (for glass, screen and limbs) and Coe & Austin [13] (for tempered and safety glass, masonite and plywood). ...
Article
The results presented in this article demonstrate how a foam-filled double textile layer as an intermediate target in close proximity to the muzzle influences shotgun patterns and therefore shooting distance determinations based on these patterns. The results indicate that, for all shot sizes, the patterns are larger when shots are fired through a guitar bag than when they are fired without an intermediate target. The results also demonstrate the small influence of shot size on the pattern change, for the tested shot sizes.
... Kern and Mc Corkle (1963) defines "crime prevention as any effort that tends to reinforce society control over its members". According to them, it includes the activities such as: (1) to prevent a crime from succeeding (2) to prevent the development of criminal motivation (3) to facilitate the channeling to motives in legitimate direction and (4) to prevent the development of criminal opportunities. Generally, crime prevention means the steps and efforts taken to control the occurrence of crime incidence. ...
Article
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BACKGROUND: Though homicide, in general seems universal, the type and pattern are specific to particular societies and particular times. OBJECTIVE : Medicolegal study of homicide by firearms and explosives. METHODS: The present study comprised of 100 (one hundred) cases of homicidal firearms and explosives deaths drawn from the medicolegal autopsies held in the mortuary of the department of Forensic Medicine accompanied by sufficient number of relevant persons who were thoroughly interviewed at the time of autopsy on the body of deceased victim of homicide by firearm and explosives. RESULTS : It was found that in max ( 40% ) victims shot gun w as used followed by countrymade firearms 21%, rifel14%, revolver 12%,bombs 1 2%,Pistol was used in 10 % and AK47 rifle was used in 2 % Victims. Over majority ( 77% ) of victims were not hospitalized. Very less no of victims 13% were hospitalized but not oper ated.Few Victims 10% were hospitalized and operated. Over majority 55% of victims died at the scene of crime followed by 23 % Victims who died following admission into th hospital.Only few 5% victims died on way to the hospital.In 17 % victims place of dea th could not be known. In 43 % of victims death was instanlaneous.Victims survived for less than one hr in 13 % followed by, 1 hr to 6hr 6%, 6 hr to 24 hr 3% and more then 24 hrs 18%.Survival period in 17 % victims could not be ascertained as only dead bod y was recovered.It was found that that max 43% victims died instantaneously due to injuries to vital organ (s) followed by death due to shock and haemorrhage 25%, septicaemia 14%,Coma 12%,blast lungs 4% and asphyxia due to aspiration of blood in the respir atory tract. In max no 61.36% of victims, single weapon was used followed by used of double weapon in 14.78% and in vary few victims 4.54% more than two weapon were used. However, in 19.31% victims it could not be known. In 46.59% victim, location of entry wound was on multiple body parts followed by on head 40.90%, chest 27.27%, abdomen 7.95%,neck 2.27%,Upper extremity 2.27%,lower extremity 1.13%.In majority 53.40% of the victims had one e ntry wound followed by two in 15.90 %, three %, and more then Three 19.31%.Findings on range of firearm discharge clearly depict that max no of victims ( 40.90% ) of homicide by firearm , were shot at from close/Near range.This was followed by cont act wound in 29.54 % and distat range in 20.45 %.Combination of near and distan t range was seen in 9.09%.It was found that in three fourth ( 75% ) victims there were no associated injuries by any weapon other than firearm.In only 2(2.27%) Victims associated fatal injuries were present.However, in as many as 20 (22.75%) victims associat ed injuries by other weapons were p resent but they were not fatal. CONCLUSION : Over three fourth of the victims of homicide by firearms die on the spot due to injuries to vital organs followed by shock and hemorrhage
Article
Little is known about the potential of artificial intelligence in forensic shotgun pattern interpretation. As shooting distance is among the main factors behind shotgun patterning, this proof-of-concept study aimed to explore the potential of neural net architectures to correctly classify shotgun pattern images in terms of shooting distance. The study material comprised a total of 106 shotgun pattern images from two discrete shooting distances (n = 54 images from 10 meters and n = 52 images from 17.5 meters) recorded on blank white paper. The dataset was used to train, validate and test deep learning algorithms to correctly classify images in terms of shooting distance. The open source AIDeveloper software was used for the deep learning procedure. In this dataset, a TinyResNet-based algorithm reached the highest testing accuracy of 94%. Of the testing set, the algorithm classified all 10 m patterns correctly, and misclassified one 17.5 m pattern. On the basis of these preliminary data, it seems achievable to develop algorithms that would serve as a beneficial tool for forensic investigators when estimating shooting distances from shotgun patterns. In the future, studies with larger and more complex datasets are needed to develop robust and applicable algorithms for forensic shotgun pattern interpretation.
Chapter
Shotguns present special challenges to crime scene investigators, medical examiners, and firearms examiners. This is largely due to the great variety and complexity of this type of ammunition compared to bulleted cartridges. There are numerous types of wads, shot collars, shotcups, buffering materials, as well as many sizes and compositions of shot available in this type of ammunition. Figs. 13.1–13.3 provide three examples. The two most common types of shotshell mouths are shown in Fig. 13.4. The white-colored plastic shotshell on the left is a roll crimped shotshell, while the red one possesses a star crimp. All the items shown in these photographs have important evidentiary and reconstructive value. They also have their own special ballistic properties that can play a vital role in establishing the distance from which the shot was fired and the approximate location of the shooter at the moment of discharge.
Article
Die Wundmorphologie von Schusswunden variiert beträcht-lich in Abhängigkeit vom Typ der eingesetzten Waffe. Das Wissen um die Hauptmerkmale der verschiedenen Schuss-waffentypen ist auch für Rechtsmediziner von Bedeutung, wenn auch in der täglichen Routine nicht zwingend die Not-wendigkeit besteht, die unüberschaubare Menge an Details der einzelnen Schusswaffentypen zu erarbeiten. Nachfolgend gehen wir auf einige Besonderheiten bezüglich des Aufbaus, Ballistik, Munition und Wundmorphologie von Schrotwaf-fen ein und stellen drei ausgewählte Fälle tödlicher Schrot-schussverletzungen dar.
Article
When a lead bullet is fired at close range through a pane of glass serving as an intermediary target, the wound of entrance may have an atypical appearance. The victim of a penetrating caliber- .357 Magnum bullet wound of the chin had a stellate wound of entrance suggestive of a contact range of fire. Further pathologic studies, as well as experimental ballistic studies, supported the contention by the accused man that the revolver had been fired through a pane of tempered glass in a storm door. There is a paucity of information in the literature of the forensic sciences concerning the effects of intermediate targets on bullets. The experimental procedures for resolution of these problems have been discussed and the need for further research has been indicated.
Article
Die Wundmorphologie von Schusswunden variiert beträcht-lich in Abhängigkeit vom Typ der eingesetzten Waffe. Das Wissen um die Hauptmerkmale der verschiedenen Schuss-waffentypen ist auch für Rechtsmediziner von Bedeutung, wenn auch in der täglichen Routine nicht zwingend die Not-wendigkeit besteht, die unüberschaubare Menge an Details der einzelnen Schusswaffentypen zu erarbeiten. Nachfolgend gehen wir auf einige Besonderheiten bezüglich des Aufbaus, Ballistik, Munition und Wundmorphologie von Schrotwaf-fen ein und stellen drei ausgewählte Fälle tödlicher Schrot-schussverletzungen dar.
Article
Shotguns are smooth bore long firearms which commonly fire many small sized lead pellets. The special characteristics of the firearm, such as choke bore and of the ammunition, such as secondary ejecta or shotgun slugs are explained. Shotguns are generally used for hunting small but moving game from shooting distances <50 m. The low mass of the single pellets reduces the effective range as well as the penetration depth in tissue. The shotgun pellet spread (dispersion) in front of the muzzle is used for estimating the firing distance. The morphological characteristics of the entrance wound also depend on the pellet spread and thus on the shooting distance and a corresponding scheme is presented. For shotguns fired from less than 5–10 m, the so-called billiard effect causes pronounced dispersion of the pellets within tissue, thus producing large and funnel-shaped injuries. Sawn-off shotguns and the forensic investigation of cases involving shotguns are reviewed.
Article
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Both typical and less frequent features of gunshot wounds caused by shotguns are reported in the following article. The pattern of shotgun injury predominantly depends on gauge, choke, number and diameter of used pellets, muzzle-victim distance and on character of the afflicted area of the body. Characteristic ballistic properties of shotgun pellets, their wounding potential and significance in forensic patology are presented.
Article
Although most reports of civilian gunshot injuries consist mainly of wounds inflicted by handguns, shotgun wounds deserve special consideration. Longrange shotgun wounds rarely pose a problem; however, medium- and close range wounds of the penetrating and perforating type may inflict substantial soft-tissue loss, bone defects and comminution, and loss of nerve and vessel continuity. Because of the complex and multiple system involvement by shotgun wounds, a greater challenge exists to obtain a successful, functional result. The challenge is most appropriately met by an aggressive approach of early operative exploration and debridement of the wound, internal stablization of the bony fragments, vascular repair when indicated, and exploration and identification of nerve deficits, followed by an early wound closure.
Article
A case of shot-gun wound of the chest with entrance and exit holes is reported. Two cartridges had been discharged simultaneously from a double barrelled shot-gun fired at contact range. This accounted for the exit wound which is a rare finding in shot-gun deaths. Examination of the shot-gun revealed that it was in good condition. There was a discharged Number 4 cartridge in the right breech and a discharged Number 5 cartridge in the left breech. The pieces of wad recovered from the hole on the back were from a 12-bore cartridge and the pellets found in this area were both of Number 4 and Number 5 size. The differentiation of the two wounds into entrance and exit wounds is not difficult if care is taken to assess their specific features. The wound on the front of the chest had abrasion and discharge soiling of the margins, well-recognised features of an entrance hole of a shot-gun wound at contact range. The wound on the back of the chest had a margin, notched by pellets, with no abrasion or discharge soiling. It had the features of an exit wound.
Article
We present the case of a man who was killed by simultaneous discharge of both barrels of a double-barrel shotgun. Externally, there was a single wound simulating a wound made by a discharge of a single barrel. Test-firing of the shotgun against cloth, paper, and naugahyde targets revealed defects similar in shape to the wound in the victim. Simultaneous discharge of both barrels from a double-barrel shotgun may simulate the wound made by discharge of a single barrel.
Article
This study reviews the evaluation and treatment of patients with extensive self-inflicted shotgun wounds to the face. Five cases are presented and assessed with regard to reason for suicide, psychological reaction to facial reconstruction, and the potential for social rehabilitation. Mechanisms of injury, acute management, and definitive surgical and psychiatric treatment programs are discussed. Survival is expected for most patients, and carefully planned surgical reconstruction must be coordinated with skilled psychiatric intervention.
Article
Shotcup petal abrasions centered around a shotgun wound of entrance are generally thought to occur at a range of 30 to 90 cm. A suicidal .410-caliber shotgun injury of the right eye is described in which typical petal abrasions were noted around the entrance wound. However, significant soot deposition around the wound suggested that the range of fire was less than 30 cm and perhaps closer to 15 cm. Test-firing of the weapon and ammunition used by the decedent showed some spread of the shotcup petals at a range of 7.5 cm, progressing to maximum spread at 30 to 52.5 cm. Further testing with other .410 ammunition, containing shotcups, confirmed the spread of shotcup petals at ranges less than 30 cm, irrespective of manufacturer, shotshell length, and birdshot size. When a variety of shotguns were tested, it was found that one weapon with a very short barrel and cylinder bore did not exhibit petal spread until a range of 30 cm was reached. The remaining shotguns, with longer barrels and full choke, all demonstrated definite petal spread at a range of 12.5 cm. The long, narrow configuration of .410 shotcup petals may explain their early spread and the production of petal abrasions at ranges of less than 30 cm.
Article
The main parameters in determining the extent of tissue damage from firearms include velocity, distance, presenting area of the missile, density and elasticity of the tissues. Entry and exit wounds are extremely variable in size and are often deceiving when correlated with tissue destruction. Treatment protocols are variable but consist usually of superficial debridement, antibiotics, and sterile dressings for low velocity missile wounds. Generous but cautious debridement of muscle and fascia with maximal preservation of tendons, neurovascular structures and fragments of bone is standard management for high velocity missile wounds. Intra-articular bullets demand removal while bullets lodged in the spine are better left untouched. The majority of neural deficits secondary to low velocity missile wounds spontaneously recover. Vascular damage is often difficult to ascertain. Indications for preoperative angiography include multiple injury sites, anatomic proximity, and suspicion of an A-V fistula. It is important to recognize that concomitant venous repair is crucial to optimum arterial flow and salvage of the injured extremity. With combined fracture and arterial injury, fracture stabilization may be performed initially if lapsed time since injury is less than four hours, while arterial repair is of prime concern if lapsed time is greater than four hours. A comparative edge goes to external fixation devices in fracture management with a lower infection rate and higher union rate. Indications for internal fixation include polytrauma, floating extremities, intra-articular fractures, and selected upper extremity fractures. Awareness of the possibility of missile embolization, gas gangrene, and lead intoxication is of utmost importance along with the necessity of thorough documentation of the wound in the hospital record for legal considerations.
Article
This second part of a two-part article investigates the types of wounds produced by three types of weapons: rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and recent innovations in both weapons and ammunition which are altering the severity of shooting injuries.
Article
Recently, in many parts of the world, there has been an increase in the number of civilian crimes involving guns and nowadays any oral surgeon in hospital may be confronted with this type of injury. This paper reviews the mechanism of wounding by different firearms to allow an appreciation of their effect on living tissues, and then outlines the clinical management of these injuries.
Article
Careful and meticulous probing of sites of individual pellet injuries in distant shotgun wounds with repositioning of the body to allow parallel alignment of pellet tracts make possible the determination of the position of a decreased at time of injury. Spared areas, or "gaps," within the pattern may result from shielding either by body parts or by an intermediate object. The present case reports illustrate the method and its importance.
Article
The management and outcome of 138 abdominal shotgun wounds were examined over a 5-year period. It has been proposed that exploratory laparotomy may be unnecessary and even overused in a subset of patients with abdominal shotgun wounds. Data on shotgun wound patients from October 1987 through March 1992 from a statewide trauma registry were examined. Patients with abdominal shotgun wounds were identified and compared with patients with nonabdominal shotgun wounds. Of 516 shotgun wound patients, 138 (26.7%) had abdominal wounds and 88 (63.8%) had exploratory laparotomies. Abdominal shotgun wounds resulted in significantly longer number of intensive care unit days (4.3 vs. 2.5, p < 0.05), a greater number of blood units transfused (7.8 vs. 2.4, p < 0.05), and a higher mortality (15.9% vs. 4.8%, p < 0.05) when compared with nonabdominal shotgun wounds. When stratified for trauma score, the mortality for abdominal shotgun wounds always was significantly greater than for nonabdominal shotgun wounds. All abdominal shotgun wound patients with trauma scores less than ten died. The negative laparotomy rate for abdominal shotgun wound patients with normal trauma scores was 9.4%. No patient with a negative laparotomy died. Abdominal shotgun wounds are a particularly lethal subset of shotgun wounds. Although some abdominal shotgun wound patients can be managed without laparotomy, the morbidity and mortality for these injuries are substantial, even in patients with normal trauma score. Clinical judgment is an excellent predictor of the need for laparotomy.
Article
A 17-year experience from 1977 to 1993 with gunshot, shotgun, and high-energy avulsive facial injuries emphasizes the superiority and safety of "ballistic wound" surgical management: (1) immediate stabilization in anatomic position of existing bone, (2) primary closure of existing soft tissue, (3) periodic "second look" serial debridement procedures, and (4) definitive early reconstruction of soft-tissue and bony defects. The series contains 250 gunshot wounds, 53 close-range shotgun wounds, and 15 high-energy avulsive facial injuries. Four general patterns of involvement are noted for both gunshot and shotgun wounds and three for avulsive facial injuries. The treatment algorithm begins with identifying zones of injury and loss for both soft and hard tissue. Gunshot wounds are best classified by the location of the exit wound; shotgun and avulsive facial wounds are classified according to the zone of soft-tissue and bone loss. Treatment, prognosis, and complications vary according to four patterns of gunshot wounds and four patterns of shotgun wounds. Avulsive wounds have not been recommended previously for ballistic wound surgical management. The appropriate management of high-energy avulsive and ballistic facial injuries is best approached by an aggressive treatment program emphasizing initial primary repair of existing tissue, serial conservative debridement, and early definitive reconstruction.
Article
Firearms induce severe morphological and structural alterations on both soft and bony tissues of the face. It is therefore essential to restore their previous functionality. In our experience, maxillofacial lesions due to firearm shooting must be divided, from a locational point of view, into those lesions involving the upper third, those involving the medium third, and those involving the lower third of the face. Lesions of soft and bony tissues must be evaluated precisely through instrumental diagnostic examinations and axial and coronal computed tomographic projection, preferably with a three-dimensional construction, to be able to restore the previous functional integrity of the maxillofacial region. At a subsequent surgical time, it may be necessary to plan aesthetic corrections for recovery of the previous facial harmony.
Article
The case being reported is one of a homicidal shotgun fatality with an unusual wound pattern. A 34-year-old man was shot at close range with a 12-gauge shotgun armed with No. 5 birdshot ammunition. The shot entered the left axillary region, exited through the left infraclavicular region, and thereafter penetrated the left side of the neck, causing tearing of the left common carotid artery and the right internal carotid artery. The entrance wound in the axilla was larger than the other wounds, and before autopsy it was believed that the shotgun had been fired twice, causing one wound in the neck and one wound perforating the infraclavicular region and exiting through the left axillary region. Thus, this case shows that unusual wound patterns in shotgun fatalities can easily lead to incorrect assumptions with regard to number and direction of shots fired unless thorough investigation is carried out postmortem.
Article
In the Netherlands the majority of gunshot wounds are caused by hand guns with a low firing velocity, such as pistols and revolvers, in which the severity of the injuries caused is primarily determined by whether or not vital structures are hit. With these sorts of wounds the removal of debris as equally the bullet is not usually necessary. For firearms with a high firing velocity the wounds are more severe due to the greater quantity of kinetic energy transferred to the tissues. As a result of this, cavitations and damage due to secondary projectiles can occur. The extensive removal of debris can be necessary in such cases. The severity of the wounds caused by a shotgun depends mainly on the distance from the shooter. For shotgun wounds incurred at a short distance it is necessary to ascertain whether the plastic pellet has ended up in the wound.
Article
This is the second part of a two-part article by Mr. Drake, the purpose of which is to give a factual account of shotgun ballistics for use as a work of reference by forensic experts. The first part of the article, which was published in Volume 2, No. 2, in March of this year, dealt with manufacture, constitution, pressure and, velocity.
Article
This is the first part of a two part article by Mr. Drake, the purpose of which is to give a factual account of shotgun ballistics for use as a work of reference by forensic experts. The second part of the article, to be published in Volume 3, No. 1, in September of this year, will deal mainly with pattern, penetration and gun bursts.
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