Gunshot Wounds: Ballistics, Pathology, and Treatment Recommendations, with a Focus on Retained Bullets

Abstract

Gracie R Baum,1 Jaxon T Baum,2 Dan Hayward,2 Brendan J MacKay1 1Department of Orthopedic Hand Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; 2School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USACorrespondence: Brendan J MacKay, Department of Orthopedic Hand Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 808 Joliet Ave Suite 310, Lubbock, TX, 79415, USA, Tel [phone], Email [email protected]: As the epidemic of gunshot injuries and firearm fatalities continues to proliferate in the United States, knowledge regarding gunshot wound (GSW) injury and management is increasingly relevant to health-care providers. Unfortunately, existing guidelines are largely outdated, written in a time that high-velocity weapons and deforming bullets were chiefly restricted to military use. Advances in firearm technology and increased accessibility of military grade firearms to civilians has exacerbated the nature of domestic GSW injury and complicated clinical decision-making, as these weapons are associated with increased tissue damage and often result in retained bullets. Currently, there is a lack of literature addressing recent advances in the field of projectile-related trauma, specifically injuries with retained bullets. This review aims to aggregate the available yet dispersed findings regarding ballistics, GSW etiology, and treatment, particularly for cases involving retained projectiles.Keywords: ballistics, gunshot injuries, retained bullets, orthopedic surgery, trauma

Keywords

• ballistics
• gunshot injuries
• retained bullets
• orthopedic surgery
• trauma