Brain Injury A wound in which the projectile enters the cranium , but does not exit, is referred to as a penetrating wound. An injury in which the projectile enters and exits the cranium is referred to as a perforating wound.
Both bleeding and damage from this pressure wave results in brain swelling, which can also lead to death. A number of factors determine the extent of damage caused by a gunshot wound. These include the caliber of the gun, size and speed of the bullet, the trajectory and site of the injury. A bullet wound going through the right frontal lobe tip toward the forehead and well above the base of the skull is likely to cause relatively mild clinical damage, because it passes through no vital brain tissue or vascular structures.
However, a similar bullet passing downward from the left frontal lobe tip toward the temporal lobe and brainstem is likely to be devastating, because it passes through eloquent brain tissue and is likely to injure important vascular structures inside the head.
A bullet trajectory through key blood vessels in the brain can result in rapidly expanding blood clot in the brain that can critically compress the important brain tissue resulting in immediate death at the scene. If the victim survives the initial insult, the issue becomes the increasing pressure inside the skull. Gunshot wound head trauma patients are aggressively resuscitated upon initial arrival at the hospital. If blood pressure and oxygenation can be maintained, an urgent CT scan of the head is obtained.
Gabrielle Giffords D—Ariz. The bullet that struck Rep. Giffords on Saturday traveled the length of the left side of her brain — it entered from the back and exited through the front of her head. She was responsive to voice commands after the shooting and was in the operating room within 38 minutes, according to the medical center.
Though it may take weeks or months for doctors to be able determine the extent of any permanent damage, the bullet's trajectory is cause for the doctors' optimism, experts say. A person's chances of surviving such a trauma to the brain depend on the areas of the brain that are struck, the velocity of the bullet and whether the bullet exits the brain, said Dr.
If a bullet passes through both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, instead of being confined to one side, as it was in the case of Rep. There's a myth that one type is significantly worse than the other. There's no reliable way to tell and it doesn't matter. Someone who has had a gunshot wound might also have substantial internal injuries with various effects, such as breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, and heart effects.
Begin CPR if the patient is not breathing,. This could be deadly. In some cases, a gunshot wound to the chest can be a seal-sucking wound that creates a pathway for air to enter the chest. For gunshot wounds to the chest, seal the wound with some type of plastic to keep air from being sucked into the wound. This helps prevent the development of a collapsed lung.
If the patient begins complaining of worsening shortness of breath after you seal the wound, remove the seal. A gunshot wound to the abdomen can cause severe bleeding, as well as organ damage and abdominal wall damage. A wound that punctures the stomach or intestines can lead to an infection due to leaking of gastrointestinal fluid or feces into the abdominal cavity.
You might notice rapid swelling of the abdomen, even with a relatively small puncture wound. For abdominal gunshot wounds, be sure to hold pressure on the wound. Emergency surgery is generally necessary.
A gunshot to a limb is likely to cause a vascular injury, and it may cause nerve damage or broken bones as well. In general, you should avoid moving a limb that has been shot. Preventing blood loss by holding pressure is the best approach you can take while waiting for medical help to arrive. A gunshot wound to the spine can cause paralysis, and a wound to the front of the neck can damage the carotid artery , potentially preventing blood from reaching the brain.
Don't move someone who has been shot in the neck or back, as movement could damage the spinal cord , leading to permanent paralysis. And if someone was shot in the front of the neck, hold pressure to prevent bleeding. Gunshot wounds are not straightforward, and they can cause injuries beyond the visible puncture site. Bullets can bounce around inside a person's body, and various dynamics affect their path. A bullet can remain in the body, or it can exit after doing substantial damage. The physical damage caused by a gunshot injury depends on several key factors:.
While all of these are important, the speed of the bullet is the most significant factor on the amount of damage done by the round. Brain swelling may not hit its peak until three days after a person has been shot. Depending on how badly the brain swells, doctors might have to perform a craniectomy, which means a large part of the skull is temporarily removed to ease some pressure. Even if all goes well, recovery from such a wound is still a lengthy, uphill battle. Regaining some functions or adjusting to new disabilities could take years.
Because headshots are relatively uncommon, some hospitals aren't fully equipped to handle them. If that's the case, a time-consuming transfer to a new hospital must occur, potentially resulting in death.
The best-case scenario is for the injured party to be taken to a level-one trauma center. This was the case in when Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords went into surgery within 38 minutes of being shot in the head and survived. Depending on what part of the victim's brain was damaged, they could have vivid memories of the entire ordeal.
As a result, they might suffer from flashbacks, a common symptom of PTSD. This is especially true among veterans of the Vietnam War.
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