Ball Bearing (BB) Gun Injuries

Tsui, CL; Tsui, Kwok Leung; Tang, YH

doi:10.1177/102490791001700510

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Depending on the type of gun use, whether spring- or pneumatic-type, the velocity of the projectile can range from 82.5 m/s to 136 m/s. In contrast, the velocity of a bullet from a firearm is at least 227 m/s [9] ; the variation in projectile velocity depends on the gun used, leading to the differentiation of projectiles into “low kinetic” energy and “high kinetic” energy. Projectiles with low kinetic energy, such as BB gun pellets, have the propensity to pass through soft tissue structures and only pierce 1 vessel wall, which results in the projectile stalling within the lumen of the vessel.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wandering intravascular air gun BB pellet

Jafroodifar

Thibodeau

Goel

et al. 2020

Radiology Case Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Approximately 13,500 children each year are treated for non-powder gun injuries of which approximately one-quarter of these injuries are puncture wounds. Although rare, vascular migration of the bullet or pellet (otherwise known as the “wandering bullet”) may result in downstream organ damage secondary to vascular or venous occlusion, most commonly travelling anterograde and lodging within the lung venous system. Interestingly, we present a case of a 12-year-old female who was shot in the neck with a compressed-air gun loaded with ball-bearing pellets. Eventual retrograde vascular migration of the ball-bearing pellet from the right internal jugular vein to the hepatic vein caused hepatic venous occlusion and congestion. It is important for radiologists to remember the possibility of retrograde travel of bullets and pellets, and radiographs should be scrutinized for foreign bodies present in areas other than the region of injury. Bullet retrieval is determined by clinical evaluation and necessity, and if indicated, endovascular, percutaneous retrieval, or surgical exploration may be considered.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wandering intravascular air gun BB pellet

Jafroodifar

Thibodeau

Goel

et al. 2020

Radiology Case Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…6 Given these numbers, BBs possess enough kinetic energy to penetrate skin and, depending on the body region, to fracture bone. 7,8 The extent of injury is due largely in part to the distance from which the BB is fired. 9 This patient was fired upon at close range, resulting in the BB entering his temporal bone.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Rifles Are More than Toys: BB Gun-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

Klopotek¹,

Weibley²,

Chapados³

2014

Pediatr Ann

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gunshot wounds are traumatic events that emergency departments around the country treat on a daily basis. An increasing number of these wounds are being caused by air rifles that shoot ball bearings (ie, BB guns) and, although uncommon, the results can be fatal. The general public and most practitioners may not realize the damage these "toys" can inflict. This article highlights an unfortunate event involving a BB gun accidentally discharged at close range and the consequences. Data from recent and older studies are discussed regarding the firepower of these guns and their potential for injury.A ir rifles that shoot ball bearings (ie, BB guns) have been in production for decades and are considered by most to be not much more than a toy. This leads to the perception that these guns may be safe for children to use unsupervised; however, modernization has made BB guns into weapons with potentially lethal power. Accidental injuries from BBs can cause a wide variety of complications because of their ability to penetrate the skin, eyes, skull, thorax, and abdomen. This article presents a case of a BB gun-related traumatic brain injury and further discusses BB gun injuries and their prevention. CASE REPORTA 10-year-old boy was shooting his BB gun at targets in the backyard with his 12-year-old brother when they ran out of BBs. Assuming that the gun was empty, the older brother pointed it toward the victim and discharged it approximately one foot away from his head. Unfortunately, there was one BB left in the gun and it struck the 10-yearold brother above his right ear. The mother was summoned immediately by the older brother and they found the younger brother lying on the ground, unconscious, unresponsive, and with agonal breaths. Emergency medical services arrived, intubated him, and flew him via helicopter to the emergency department (ED).Initial examination in the ED revealed a small entrance wound over the right temporal region and above the ear. After sedation was discontinued, the patient was unresponsive with 4-mm reactive pupils, decerebrate positioning, and hypertonic reflexes. A head computed tomography (CT) exam without contrast revealed bone fragments displaced into the right temporal lobe, extensive parenchymal, intraventricular, and subarachnoid hemorrhages. The scan also showed a projectile tract traversing from the right to left temporal lobe with possible Circle of Willis involvement, and a metallic BB in the left temporal lobe (Figures 1 and 2). A cerebral angiogram showed no evidence of vascular injury.The neurosurgery department was consulted and the patient was taken to the operating room (OR) for a right temporal craniectomy with debridement of bone fragments and placement of an intracranial pressure monitor. Immediately after, a left frontal burr hole with placement of a ventricular drain was completed. The patient was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for further management. His intracranial pressures (ICPs) and cerebral perfusion pressures (CPPs) were managed with tem...

show abstract

“…A pseudoaneurysm of the ophthalmic artery is an extremely rare condition with few case reports in the literature. [1][2][3] There have been no previous reports of this entity occurring from penetrating orbital trauma. Identification and proper management of this condition is important to prevent potential vision loss from compressive optic neuropathy and/or arterial rupture.…”

Section: Post-traumatic Ophthalmic Artery Pseudoaneurysm From Orbitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When shot from a modern day BB pellet-firing gun, their velocity can exceed 60 m/s, which is fast enough to pierce skin and fracture bone. 1 BB pellet injuries most commonly affect young males and can cause significant ocular injuries leading to profound permanent and temporary visual loss as a result of globe rupture, optic neuropathy, chorioretinitis sclopetaria, detached retina, vitreous hemorrhage, and/or hyphema. [2][3][4] In cases involving periocular BB pellet injury, the clinician should request imaging to locate the pellet and decide if surgical excision is required, assess the patient's tetanus status, and provide instructions on the relevance of adequate eye protection to prevent further injuries.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%