Citation

Sondén A, Rocksén D, Riddez L, Davidsson J, Persson JK, Gryth D, Bursell J, Arborelius UP. J. Trauma 2009; 67(6): 1191-1199.

Affiliation

Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet at Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden. anders.sonden@sodersjukhuset.se

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/TA.0b013e3181a5b0e1

PMID

20009666

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Body armor is used by military personnel, police officers, and security guards to protect them from fatal gunshot injuries to the thorax. The protection against high-velocity weapons may, however, be insufficient. Complementary trauma attenuating backings (TAB) have been suggested to prevent morbidity and mortality in high-velocity weapon trauma. METHODS: Twenty-four Swedish landrace pigs, protected by a ceramid/aramid body armor without (n = 12) or with TAB (n = 12) were shot with a standard 7.62-mm assault rifle. Morphologic injuries, cardiorespiratory, and electroencephalogram changes as well as physical parameters were registered. RESULTS: The bullet impact caused a reproducible behind armor blunt trauma (BABT) in both the groups. The TAB significantly decreased size of the lung contusion and prevented hemoptysis. The postimpact apnea, desaturation, hypotension, and rise in pulmonary artery pressure were significantly attenuated in the TAB group. Moreover, TAB reduced transient peak pressures in thorax by 91%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that ordinary body armor should be complemented by a TAB to prevent thoracic injuries when the threat is high-velocity weapons.

Language: en