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A gunshot wound (GSW) is a penetrating injury caused by a projectile (e.g. a bullet) shot from a gun (typically a firearm). [ 11 ] [ 12 ] Damage may include bleeding , bone fractures , organ damage, wound infection , and loss of the ability to move part of the body . [ 2 ]
A contact shot produces a distinctive wound, with extensive tissue damage from the burning propellant. Unlike a shot from point-blank range, the powder burns will cover a very small area right around the entry wound; often there will be a distinct pattern, called tattooing.
In gunshot wounds, perforating trauma is associated with an entrance wound and an often larger exit wound. Penetrating trauma can be caused by a foreign object or by fragments of a broken bone. Usually occurring in violent crime or armed combat, [3] penetrating injuries are commonly caused by gunshots and stabbings. [4]
Common wound types include gunshots to the extremities. A person may achieve a similar effect by deliberately neglecting their health, e.g., by letting a minor wound become infected, or foregoing foot care in damp environments to trigger the development of diseases like trench foot and tropical ulcers, which are debilitating but not usually fatal or permanent if treated properly.
Secondary blast wounds may be lethal and therefore many anti-personnel explosive devices are designed to generate fast-flying fragments. Most casualties are caused by secondary injuries as shrapnels generally affect a larger area than the primary blast area , because debris can easily be propelled for hundreds or even thousands of meters.
Maggie, 52, had five distinct gunshot wounds, the report says. A gunshot wound to the left side of her torso and head include injuries to her left breast, lower jaw, ear, skull and brain.
The bullet's angle of trajectory at the point where it penetrates the skin can influence the shape of the abrasion collar. This can be used by forensic pathologists in discerning an approximate angle of entry and is important in investigations of gunshot wound victims, where evidence of the gunshot's origin is necessary to determine whether the death was homicidal, suicidal, or accidental.
A soft tissue injury is the damage of muscles, ligaments and tendons throughout the body. Common soft tissue injuries usually occur from a sprain, strain, a one-off blow resulting in a contusion or overuse of a particular part of the body.