Fragmento de osso humano atuando como projétil secundário decorrente de explosão / Human bone fragment acting as a secondary projectile set off by an explosion

We report a case of a secondary projectile emanated from a fractured human bone from a victim of a bomb explosion. We also refer to the potential of transmition of blood-borne or body fluid pathogens by this mechanism of injury.

Serial bomb blasts in north-east India: A postmortem study.

Terrorism has become a global phenomenon and most of the countries, whether developed or developing, are facing terror activities. Recently the terror activities have become a regular feature in India where more than 15 major terrorist strikes occurred from 2008 to 2010. Assam, the gateway of northeast India, on 30th October 2008 witnessed a strategically planned terrorist multiple consequential serial bomb blast attack where more than 13 bombs were exploded within a span of merely 10-20 minutes. The news on the next day indicated the initial death of 66 persons; and 470 sustained minor to severe injuries during the explosions in different places. Out of these ultimately 90 persons had died, which was the highest mortality in any blast in the Assam till that date. The dead bodies of 56 victims were brought to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination. During autopsy apart from the demographic data collected on interaction with police, relatives of the victims and inquest papers of every victim, the postmortem findings were recorded in details and the difficulties faced in the management of this disaster in mortuary will be discussed in this paper.

Socioeconomic considerations regarding a land mine victim with maxillofacial injuries.

This article describes a case we experienced while doing volunteer medical work in Cambodia for six months in 2002. By examining treatment of a 14-year-old female land mine victim with maxillofacial injuries, we report on the present socio-medical situation in Cambodia. This case suggests the lack of infrastructure, facilities, human resources, and patient education make it extremely difficult to provide patients with proper treatment, including general anesthesia. A comparison of land mine victim statistics between 2002 and 2005 reveals significant problems.

Unusual blast colonic injury due to a fall.

Civilian colonic injuries are usually due to penetrating injuries like gun shots, stab wounds and blunt trauma especially following road traffic accidents. Blast injuries are caused by bomb blasts, intracolonic explosion of gases after diathermy, over-enthusiastic bowel insufflation at sigmoidoscopy or by pressure hose applied to the anus. We report the case of a 28-year old man with an unusual blast injury of the colon following a fall from a colanut tree. The transverse colon was sheared off at its two ends while the descending colon was split open along its entire length. There was a delay of 14 hours before the man was discovered in the remote bush and brought to hospital. The mode of injury, its severity and the ultimate favourable outcome are quite unique considering the gross faecal soilage of the peritoneal cavity and the inevitable time lapse before the institution of medical care.