Citation

Simon G, Heckmann V, Tóth D, Kozma Z. Leg. Med. (Elsevier) 2019; 39: 41-44.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, 12 Szigeti Street, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Japanese Society of Legal Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.legalmed.2019.06.004

PMID

31203135

Abstract

Air guns are shooting projectiles (pellets) from the expansion of compressed air without involving any chemical reactions. Air guns are often regarded as harmless by the public, but these weapons can produce severe, sometimes lethal injuries, especially in children. A case of a penetrating head injury of an eleven-month-old infant, caused by an ordinary air gun pellet, is presented. The air gun pellet created an exceptionally severe brain injury, and brain death. The factors influencing the severity of air gun injuries - muzzle velocity, muzzle energy, skull thickness - are discussed.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Air gun; Brain death; Forensic pathology; Penetrating brain injury; Shot wound