Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-fmk2r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-12T18:24:55.736Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3.14.5 - Ballistic Injuries

from Section 3.14 - Environmental Injuries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
Get access

Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. Blast injuries may be split into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary injuries.

  2. 2. There are two major mechanisms of injury that occur via a gunshot wound: crushing tissue destruction by the path of the projectile, and stretching and shock by the formation of a temporary cavity.

  3. 3. The path of a bullet is very unpredictable and, as such, must be extensively investigated radiologically to see the full path and extent of the damage.

  4. 4. Treatment of patients with ballistic injuries can be simplified into three main steps: resuscitation and primary surgery, restoration of normal physiology in the ICU and return to theatre.

  5. 5. A thorough repeat full external examination should always be considered on admission to the ICU, especially if the patient becomes unstable and no identifiable cause is identified.

Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
, pp. 428 - 432
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References and Further Reading

Brett, S. Blast injury and gunshot wounds: pathophysiology and principles of management. In: Bersten, AD, Soni, N (eds). Oh’s Intensive Care Manual, 6th edn. Elsevier; 2009. pp. 867–76.Google Scholar
Frangos, SG, Freitas, M, Frankel, H. Intensive care of the trauma patient with ballistic injuries. In: Mahoney, PF, Ryan, JM, Schwab, CW (eds). Ballistic Trauma. London: Springer; 2005. pp. 445–64.Google Scholar
Goorah, S, Hindocha, S. Management of ballistic soft tissue injuries: a review. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences 2013;8:2835.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hull, JB, Bowyer, GW, Cooper, GJ, et al. Pattern of injury in those dying from traumatic amputation caused by bomb blast. Br J Surg 1994;81:1132–5.Google ScholarPubMed
Rabinovici, R, Frankel, H, Kaplan, L. Trauma evaluation and resuscitation. Cure Probl Surg 2003;40:599681.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×