Pellet Gunfire Injuries in Head- Neck and Maxillo-Facial Region-An Experience in Kashmir Valley

Abstract

Pellet gun injuries is quite commonly faced emergency nowadays in Kashmir because of recent turmoil in valley and has invited a different challenges in modern day to day practice of surgeons mostly otolaryngologists and ophthalmologists . For this reason a study was conducted in an only tertiary care of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Referral Center, ENT, SMHS, Srinagar between July 2016 to September 2016. The pattern, severity and outcome of injuries in head and neck and maxilla-facial region among pellets gun victims in Kashmir region was studied and their management was categorized based on demand and need.

Prevalence of trauma among young adults exposed to stressful events of armed conflicts in South Asia: Experiences from Kashmir.

“…Initially, teargas shells were used to control the protests, but since 2010, pellet shotguns have been used to quell the crowds, and many times, bullets are fired when the crowds become violent. These pellets, made of iron, are fired at a speed of 330 m/s, causing life-threatening injuries to the affected individuals, because the vital body parts get injuries in a majority of the cases (Rashid et al, 2014; Showkat et al, 2017; Zia, 2019). In one study on youth who got pellet injuries in Kashmir, Mushtaque et al (2012) found that a majority of them (72.7%) were aged between 16 and 25 years, and their body parts were significantly affected, including chest (31.3%), abdomen (36.3%), and extremities (47.9%).…”