Nausea, Vomiting, and Weight Loss in a Young Adult Patient With a History of a Gunshot Wound

Abstract

Assessing victims of gunshot wounds with retained bullets/bullet fragments for lead toxicity is not always considered until the patient develops signs and symptoms of toxicity. We discuss the case of a 19-year-old young man who received a diagnosis of chronic lead toxicity (serum lead concentration 51 μg/dL) 5 weeks after a hunting accident. Extensive wound debridement occurred following the accident; however, lead toxicity was not diagnosed until after his fourth emergency department visit. Oral chelation therapy was required for the management of his lead toxicity.

Experience and successful treatment of craniocerebral gunshot injury at a regional trauma center in Korea: a case report and literature review

“…A potential complication of remaining bullet fragments is lead poisoning defined as blood lead level above 3.5 μg/dL [12]. There are several case reports suggesting lead poisoning due to remaining bullet fragments in the soft tissue [13,14]. Since it has been reported that remaining bullets could cause lead poisoning, we decided that removal of bullets was absolutely necessary in this case.…”