Carotid artery injury from an airgun pellet: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Historically airguns were powerful weapons. Modern models, though less lethal, are still capable of inflicting serious or life threatening injuries. Current United Kingdom legislation fails to take into the account the capacity for airguns to maim and kill. We believe that airguns should be governed by the same law that applies to firearms. We present a case of a potentially fatal airgun injury to the neck. The airgun pellet caused a defect in the anterior wall of the external carotid artery, which required rapid access and surgical repair. We discuss the mechanism of airgun injury and review the literature in terms of investigation and management.

The wounding potential and legal situations of air guns – experimental study

“…There were 48 reported injuries in the abdominal region; these injuries were the third highest cause of air gun mortality after head and thorax injuries. There were 214 injuries in the upper limbs, 320 in the lower limbs, and 78 injuries that were not classified ( Figure 1) [8][9][10][11][12] .…”

“…Information regarding the origin of the injury was given in 1361 of these. In 1001 cases (74%), the origin of the injury was an accident; in 36 cases (3%) it was suicide; in 143 cases (10%) it was an attack by another person, and in 181 cases (13%) the origin was unknown [8][9][10][11][12] .…”

Entrapment of an air gun pellet between the thyroid cartilage and the lining mucosa in a patient with a penetrating neck injury: a case report

“…The pellet can rapidly lose velocity over distance and thus the pellet velocity at the target is more relevant in terms of tissue damage. Direct effects on tissues occur within the missile tract, such as laceration and crushing, rather than the effects due to temporary cavitation [2]. …”

“…The majority of fatal incidents reported have involved children under the age of 16, with boys outnumbering girls [3]. The most common site of injury is the head and neck region [2]. Air gun injuries to the eye have been cited in previous reports [4,5].…”

“…In contrast, firearms are air pistols that generate more than 8.1 J and air rifles more than 16.2 J. A review of the literature has revealed an alarming trend in increasing incidence and severity of air gun pellet injuries [2]. …”