Death due to airgun injury: a case report.

In medicolegal practice, the examination of injuries is very important to solve the medicolegal problems like weapon identification, age of the injury, fatality, ante mortem or postmortem etc. Commonly the firearms are classified like rifled guns and smooth bored guns. Usually cases encountered are from these weapons. In these weapons gun powder is used to propel the projectile. The preliminary knowledge of these weapons is important to identify the weapon. In case of airgun, compressed air is used to propel the projectile. An airgun is a rifle, pistol or shotgun which fires projectiles by means of compressed air or gas in contrast to a firearm which burns a propellant. Most airguns use metallic projectiles called as pellets. The death due airgun is rare. The death that happened in this case is discussed in detail due to rarity of its kind. During the injury examination, the analysis of the injury is important. Its size, shape, nature of margins, abrasions coller, grease coller, tattooing, soot, and burns are all to be noted in firearm injuries to decide the weapon, entry or exit wound etc.

preliminary study of firearm injuries and deaths in Qena governorate, Egypt in year 2008

Firearm injuries are a major public threatening problem in many countries; they represent important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The incident varies greatly in different parts of the world, however the incidence and pattern of the firearm injuries and deaths in Qena governorate was not studied up till now. The objective of the study s to outline the pattern of firearm injuries in Qena governorate and compare it with the pattern seen in other parts of the world. The used method is a retrospective analysis of firearm analysis of firearm injuries and deaths examined by Medicolegal department of Ministry of Justice in Qena governorate during the period between January and December in the year 2008. The results showed that firearm injuries and deaths were one hundred and three cases which represented [11.6%] of total cases [885] examined by the Medicolegal department of Justice in Qena governorate, while firearm deaths were 45 cases representing [48.1%] of all fatalities [93] examined by the same department. Most cases occurred in the age group [30-40] years [48.5%], followed by the age group [40-50] years [23.3%]. Most victims were males representing [94.2%] of total cases. Permanent infirmities occurred in 9 cases of firearm injuries [8.7%]. Victims of homicidal attacks represented [97.09%], accidental cases [l.94%], while suicide occurred in [0.97%] only of firearm injuries. Sites of inlet wounds and cause of death could be determined. Locally made guns were used in 51.5% of firearm injuries. There is a need to reduce the number of firearms used and sold in Egypt. Handguns should be banned, and age limit for obtaining firearm license should be increased. We need to eliminate illegal country gun making units. Educational efforts, and individual, community and social approaches are needed to avoid firearm-related injuries

Incidência e tratamento inicial das fraturas mandibulares por arma de fogo na cidade do Rio de Janeiro / Incidence and initial treatment of the mandible fractures by gunshot in Rio de Janeiro city

Uma característica fartamente evidenciada em relaçäo à cidade do Rio de Janeiro é a violência, trazendo, em consequência, a mobilizaçäo de profissionais das diversas áreas. No campo da saúde säo os especialistas em traumatologia da face reconhecidos e destacados pela originalidade e qualidade de seus trabalhos, cuja divulgaçäo amplia-se na medida em que cresce mundialmente o interesse por trabalhos relacionados à medicina de guerra. Neste sentido, esta pesquisa acrescenta dados provocados por projétil de arma de fogo (PAF). Este estudo consta da análise de 67 prontuários de três dos maiores hospitais de emergência do Rio de Janeiro, Hospital Municipal Souza Aguiar, Miguel Couto e Salgado Filho, onde foram analisados dados referentes a regiäo acometida, o tratamento inicial instituído, bem como as complicaçöes pós-operatórias. Nos resultados obtidos o tratamento conservador foi preferido ao cirúrgico na maioria dos casos, além das complicaçöes pós-operatórias estarem mais frequentemente associadas a reduçäo cruenta das fraturas. Este estudo vem evidenciar a necessidade de um protocolo de atendimento ao traumatizado de face, assim como de maior conhecimento de balística e da fisiopatologia dos ferimentos por PAF, a fim de diminuir a morbidade por esse tipo de traumatismo