Gunshot & Shrapnel Wounds.pptx

7/29/2019 Gunshot & Shrapnel Wounds.pptx

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Gunshot & Shrapnel

Wounds

Ada Gay O. Serencio, RN


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Types of Firearm1. Revolver

2. Automatic Pistol3. Rifle

4. Shot Gun


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Characteristics & appearance of

Gunshot wounds are influenced by thefollowing factors:

1. Kind of weapon

2. Caliber of weapon

3. Shape and composition of themissile

4. Range of fire

5. Direction of fire6. Parts of the body involved


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Entry wounds are categorized

based on range Contact: muzzle is pressed against the

skin when fired

In areas of loose skin (abdomen, chest):

circular wound with blackened, seared skin

margins


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On head, where the scalp is tightly covering theskull, entry wounds can have several different

appearances:

Round wound with blackened, seared skinmargins

Stellate shaped wound, due to tearing of skinfrom expanding gas dissecting between thescalp and skull

Round wound with muzzle imprint, also due togas expanding under the skin causing it to pressback against the gun


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Near contact: muzzle of the gun is held a short

distance from the skin (< 1 cm from skin with handguns)

- Appears as circular wound with blackened and searededges that are wider than seen with contact wounds

Intermediate: defined by the presence of stippling

(powder tattooing) on the skin surrounding the entry

wound

- Stippling is due to unburned powder grains

exiting from the gun causing pinpoint abrasions on the

skin; these are not burns

- Actual distance from skin varies according to thegun; generally from a few centimeters up to several feet


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Distant: any distance beyond that which producesstippling

- Appear as round wounds with sharpmargins and an abrasion ring on the surrounding skin

Centerfire rifle wounds:

In contact wounds of the head with centerfire rifles,there is massive tissue destruction of the skin, skull,

and brain

Full metal jacketed bullets produce less tissuedamage and tend to travel through the bodyundeformed

Semi-jacketed ammunition creates the classic leadsnowstorm appearance on x-ray due to peeling backof the jacket as it travels through the body, releasingnumerous small lead fragments


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Shotgun wounds:

Shotgun bullets contain numerous pellets

At contact range up to a few feet, the entrancewound is a single round defect

At a range of 3-4 feet, the pellets begin to spreadout before reaching the body, producing one largeentry wound surrounded by scalloping or severalsmaller defects due to penetration by individualpellets

As the range increases, the central defect becomessmaller and the number of surrounding pellet holesincreases


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Exit wounds:

Usually more irregular in shape than entry wounds

Do not show soot deposition, muzzle imprint,

stippling, or blackening of the skin edges

A shored exit wound is one in which the skin is in

contact with another object when the bullet exits; this

causes an irregular area of abrasion on the skin,

which can be confused with the abrasion ring of anentrance wound


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Gunshot wounds in bone:

In flat bones (i.e. skull), entrance wounds are round with sharpmargins and show internal beveling: the inner table of the skull is

more eroded than the outer table, producing a cone shape in

the direction of the bullet path

Fragments of bone travel in the direction of the bullet paththrough the cranial vault

Exit wounds may be more irregular and show external

beveling (outer table of the skull is more eroded than the inner

table, producing a cone shape facing outward)

In the skull, gunshot wounds often produce numerous

fractures due to rapidly increasing pressure as the bullet travels

through the skull


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Characteristics of the Wound Entrance and Exit

Entrance Exit

Size Smaller than the

missile

Larger than the

missile

Edge Inverted Averted

Shape Round or oval No definite shape

Contusion Collar Present Absent

Gunpowder

Tattooing

Present in contact

or near contactfire

Absent

Paraffin test Positive Negative

Gunshot & Shrapnel Wounds.pptx

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