Gunshot wound

A gunshot wound is an injury caused when a firearm projectile penetrates or strikes the body. Its damage depends on the projectile, its path, and the tissues affected.

Ballistics: The study of projectile motion, including a projectile's launch, flight, and impact. Impact velocity and projectile behavior shape the wound's extent.
Trauma surgery: Surgical care for severe injuries that threaten life or bodily function. It addresses injuries requiring operative control or repair.
Hemorrhagic shock: A life-threatening state caused by severe blood loss that deprives tissues of oxygen. Major bleeding from a gunshot wound can rapidly cause this condition.
Blunt trauma: Injury caused by impact without an object penetrating the body. It damages tissue through impact rather than projectile penetration.
Wound ballistics: The study of how projectiles injure biological tissues. It connects projectile properties to tissue damage.
Advanced Trauma Life Support: A structured approach to the early assessment and treatment of injured patients. Its priorities guide initial evaluation of serious firearm injuries.
Sepsis: A life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection. Infection complicating a wound can progress to systemic illness.
Stab wound: A penetrating injury caused by a pointed object driven into the body. It typically follows a slower-moving object with a narrower wound path.
Cavitation: The formation and collapse of cavities in a material exposed to rapid forces or pressure changes. Temporary tissue displacement can extend damage beyond the projectile's path.
Hemorrhage control: Methods for stopping or limiting blood loss from an injury. Severe bleeding is an immediate, treatable threat after a gunshot wound.

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Ambroise ParéRelated: Paré treated firearm injuries and questioned the belief that gunpowder poisoned wounds.