Shotgun pellets accidental chest trauma: A case report

Yasin Kareem Amin
Medicolegal institute Directory, Ministry of Health, Kurdistan Regional Government, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
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Abstract

Shotgun is the main gun used for bird hunting in rural and mountain area in the Kurdistan Iraq. This type of weapon typically acts at thirty-meter distance accuracy. Shotgun pellet-related accidents donot happen very often. Shotgun bullets have a propensity to fragment into pellets when they strike an object diagonally or after a predetermined distance. In addition to lead, steel, tungsten, and bismuth pellets are also utilized to make these pellets.Regarding the removal or retention of foreign objects like the pellets, there is no agreement. These pellets possess the capability to access distant organs that are difficult to reach by surgical intervention. This kind of situation primarily results in fatalities due to significant damage to internal tissues and organs.

In this report, we present 16 years old male teenage who died due to accidental shotgun shot from very close range in the chest area,the pellets got spread inside his chest. Our victim was unintentionally shot at close range, impacting the middle of his chest tangentially.

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How to Cite
Amin, Y. K. (2025). Shotgun pellets accidental chest trauma: A case report. Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences (Zanco J Med Sci), 29(3), 566–571. https://doi.org/10.15218/zjms.2025.061

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