Perforation Of The Small Intestine Due To Thoracic Gunshot Injury

• Published in: Journal of emergency medicine case reports 2019-10, Vol.10 (4), p.128-131
• Main Authors: KILINÇ, Gökhan, ATİK, Bülent, KILINÇ, Sümeyye, ATASOY, Asli Akcan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Case reports; Colon; Injuries; Military medicine; Thoracic surgery; Trauma
• ISSN: 2149-9934; 2149-9934
• DOI: 10.33706/jemcr.544517

Gunshot wounds can cause life-threatening injuries because they are high-energy traumas. Even gunshot or rifle injuries to the penetrating extraperitoneal abdomen or chest wall can cause damage to the abdominal organs despite a robust peritoneum and diaphragm. There are two different injury mechanisms resulting from gunshot wounds. These are related to the ”crushing“ and ”stretching of the tissues. Penetration and permanent cavity effects are generally visible in injuries with projectiles. The other major impacts, especially the temporary cavity, are difficult to show and are not known. In high-kinetic energy injuries, the temporary cavity is the main cause of the major damage caused by the bullet. There are more dangerous and more insidious effects than all of these, which is to create damage to the vascular endothelium. In this case, the organ that feeds into this vein can no longer be fed and goes to necrosis. Delayed perforation of the colon may occur within 72 hours after trauma. Gunshot wounds can cause serious injury. The organs near the projectile can be injured. Caution should be exercised for the possibility of indirect ballistic injury away from the projectile direction. Monitoring and grading of these important injuries is very important in terms of mortality and morbidity. We aimed to present a 19-year-old patient who had bowel perforation after a thoracic gunshot wound.