Korean J Neurotrauma.  2019 Oct;15(2):95-102. 10.13004/kjnt.2019.15.e34.

Does Nationality Matter for the Gunshot Brain Injury? Ten-Year Retrospective Observational Cadaveric Comparative Study for Gunshot TBI between Greece and Bulgaria

• Nikova AS
• Karakasi M
• Pavlidis P
• Birbilis T
• Dimitrov I

• KMID: 2461113
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13004/kjnt.2019.15.e34

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Penetrating brain trauma (PBT) caused by gunshot is one of the most lethal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and its management and confrontation is of great importance.
METHODS
The authors searched retrospectively the archives from 2 similar autonomous laboratories of forensic science and toxicology in the Balkan peninsula for a 10-year period of time and included only fatal penetrating brain injuries.
RESULTS
The study is conducted in 61 cadavers with gunshot PBT. All of the cadavers were victims of suicide attempt. The most common anatomical localization on the skull were the facial bones, followed by skull base, temporal and parietal bone, conducting a trajectory of the gunshot. Additional findings were atherosclerosis of the blood vessels and chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer and fatty liver.
CONCLUSION
PBI has a high mortality rate. There are factors and findings from the collected data differing between the 2 aforementioned nations. Either way, better preventative measures, gun control and healthcare system are highly necessary.

Keyword

Penetrating brain injuries; Brain injuries, traumatic; Cadaver; Wounds, gunshot

MeSH Terms

Atherosclerosis
Balkan Peninsula
Blood Vessels
Brain Injuries*
Brain*
Bulgaria*
Cadaver*
Chronic Disease
Delivery of Health Care
Ethnic Groups*
Facial Bones
Fatty Liver
Forensic Sciences
Greece*
Head Injuries, Penetrating
Humans
Mortality
Parietal Bone
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Retrospective Studies*
Skull
Skull Base
Suicide
Toxicology
Wounds, Gunshot

Figure

• 

  FIGURE 1 TBIs per year. The x-axis and y-axis are expressed as years between 2007 and 2016, and percentage of gunshot TBIs per year (%), respectively.TBI: traumatic brain injury.

• 

  FIGURE 2 Injured frontal bone with square morphology.

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