Near-Fatal Air Gun Injury in a Child – Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Air guns are widely used for recreation and to protect crops from animals. It is a pneumatic weapon capable of inflicting serious life-threatening injuries. The authors present a case of a child subjected to a life-threatening pellet injury to the head due to discharge of an air gun while playing. Case report: A 3 ½ year old male child who was 95 cm in height presented with a circular perforated laceration 0.4 cm in diameter with surrounding abrasion collar on the right side of the face over the zygomatic arch, nasal bleeding and aspiration of blood. Imaging studies revealed a diabolo-shaped foreign body resembling a pellet of an air gun in the left pharyngeal space. The foreign body was removed under image guidance. Investigation revealed that the parents used an air gun on the farm to protect their crops from monkeys. Since examination of the weapon and child indicated that he could not have caused the injury himself, we concluded that another child had fired the weapon accidentally, during play. Conclusions: The findings were compatible with those caused by discharge of an air gun. This case re-emphasizes the importance of keeping this type of weapons away from children. We recommend that air guns be governed by the same laws that apply to firearms.

Keywords

• air guns
• firearms
• forensic ballistics
• head injuries
• laws
• wounds
• gunshot