Fatal laryngeal oedema in an adult from an air rifle injury, and related ballistics

Air guns (air pistols and rifles) are already recognized as being potentially lethal. The diabolo pellet has a calibre of .177 (4.5 mm), a 1250 fps velocity, is high energetic, and is most commonly used in such weapons. In the presented case, the victim sustained an air rifle injury to the neck. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medicine, science, and the law science, and the law, 2015-01, Vol.55 (1), p.54-57
Main Authors: Radojevic, Nemanja, Cukic, Dragana, Curovic, Ivana, Golubovic, Mileta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air
Airway Obstruction - etiology
Firearms
Forensic Ballistics
Forensic Pathology
Humans
Laryngeal Edema - pathology
Larynx - injuries
Larynx - pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Thyroid Cartilage - injuries
Thyroid Cartilage - pathology
Wounds, Gunshot - pathology
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Summary:Air guns (air pistols and rifles) are already recognized as being potentially lethal. The diabolo pellet has a calibre of .177 (4.5 mm), a 1250 fps velocity, is high energetic, and is most commonly used in such weapons. In the presented case, the victim sustained an air rifle injury to the neck. The pellet passed through the thyroid cartilage, subsequently causing the extensive laryngeal swelling with haematoma around the pellet channel which fatally obstructed the airway. It is estimated microscopically that at least a number of hours must have passed from the injury to the time of death. For this case, a shooting distance was estimated by using experimental shooting values compared to physics formulas for accelerated motion. The case under question has confirmed an applicable legal approach that can be utilized by countries to classify air rifles as being as harmful as other firearms, especially those with high muzzle velocities.
ISSN:0025-8024
2042-1818
DOI:10.1177/0025802414526180