Cranial gravitational (falling) bullet injuries: Point of view

• Published in: Journal of neurosciences in rural practice 2018-04, Vol.9 (2), p.278-280
• Main Authors: Abdali, Husain, Hoz, Samer, Moscote-Salazar, Luis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fatalities; Firearms; Hospitals; Injuries; Letters to the Editor; Neurosurgery; Riot control; Trauma; Truces & cease fires; Velocity
• ISSN: 0976-3147; 0976-3155
• DOI: 10.4103/jnrp.jnrp_498_17

The incidence and outcome of falling-bullet injuries are challenging and difficult as the minor injury victims will not seek medical care, and the fatalities at the scene will not be reported in the hospital. [...]many cases of falling-bullet injuries are reported in the news media and less of them in medical literature. According to Puerto Rico, 2003 study of celebratory gunfire, out of 19 persons injured from falling bullets, 7 (37%) were females and 4 (21%) were children comparing to 3 female out of 24 (13%) and no child are injured by nonfalling bullets in the same period of the study. [9] Injuries from falling bullets to the head carry more mortality risk than injury to the other parts of the body and higher surgical intervention rate even in studies that reported less number of head injuries. [18] The outcome of head injury from falling bullets depends on age, Glasgow coma score on admission, reactivity of the pupils, the missile course through the brain or base of the patency of basal cisterns skull as well as structures injured through its cerebral course.