No abstract available.
Firearms* ; Forensic Ballistics* ; Wounds and Injuries*

Core tissue for histologic study is believed by many pathologists to be more diagnostic than material from needle aspiration. Recently introduced automated biopsy gun simplifies core biopsies with increased quantity and quality of samples. Authors performed 38 percutaneous biopsies from 38 patients with 18G automated biopsy guns under US guide. Diagnostic target tissues were obtained in 33 biopsies(87%), inadequate tissues in 4 (11%), and adequate but not of target tissue in 1(3%). There was no major complication requiring treatment, but pain needing analgesics and pain with nausea/vomiting were experienced in 2 and 1 biopsies respectively. Average number of needle passes was 1.5(1-5) We concluded that US-guided gun biopsy was a easy and safe way to obtained tissue samples of good quantity and quality, especially useful in hospitals without constant availability of specialists in cytopathology.
Analgesics ; Biopsy* ; Firearms ; Humans ; Needles ; Specialization

Death due to firearm is more common in countries with higher gun ownership such as United States of America compared to countries with restrictive gun ownership such as European countries and Malaysia. However, the increasing number of shooting cases in Malaysia recently should not be overlooked. This study was carried out to investigate the incidence of firearm-related deaths and epidemiology in Klang Valley for 11-year period. The demographic data on the incidence of firearm-related deaths from 2006 to 2016 was collected retrospectively from four government hospitals in Klang Valley. 204 cases of firearm-related deaths were reported with irregular trend of the incidence throughout the 11-year period. The results revealed that most victims were male, aged between 30 to 34 years old and Malaysian citizen. Firearms fatalities were higher among Malaysian specifically Indian, as compared to non-Malaysian. Most firearms fatalities were homicides and took place during late night between 12.00 am to 5.59 am. The highest cause of death was head injury due to gunshot wound. It is hoped that this study will raise awareness to Malaysian citizen regarding firearm-related cases and to develop strategies to overcome the issue of gun violence in Malaysia with appropriate authorities.
firearm fatalities ; firearms epidemiology ; firearms demographic data ; gun violence Klang Valley ; gunshot wound

Taser guns are considered less lethal weapon than pistols. However, several cases and animal experiments reported injuries associated with Taser guns. This report describes the case of a patient who suffered a penetrating eye injury after being shot by a Taser gun. It is important for the emergency physician to understand potential injuries that can be caused by Taser guns.
Animal Experimentation ; Emergencies ; Eye Injuries, Penetrating ; Firearms ; Humans ; Weapons

PURPOSE: HMA (Hot melt adhesive) is a thermoplastic adhesive that is commonly used at glue guns. Nowadays, HMA burns are increasing because of increased consumption of D.I.Y (Do-it-yourself) products and field based experiential learning. Because of patients' lack of knowledge and character of HMA burn, many patients visit the hospital in late period with severe, deep degree burns. At this moment, early surgical intervention may help to shorten the therapeutic period. We planned this study to evaluate the effect of early surgical intervention on shortening the therapeutic period, compared with conservative management. METHODS: This study conducted from April 1, 2013 to April 1, 2015. Thirty seven patients with deep burn wounds due to HMA, who underwent surgical or conservative management were enrolled. Operative group received more than one surgical management, and conservative group were treated by wound dressing. The effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the treatment period between two groups. RESULTS: The average time of treatment was 23.9 day in operative group and 39.1 day in conservative group, and the result was statistically significant (P=0.027). CONCLUSION: The result of this study suggests that surgical treatment and conservative treatment show significant difference in treatment of HMA burns. Therefore, surgical therapy may be considered as a proper choice for treating HMA burn injury patients.
Adhesives ; Bandages ; Burns* ; Firearms ; Humans ; Problem-Based Learning ; Wounds and Injuries

This study was conducted for the purpose of obtaining basic information on the patterns of medical care expenditures, and identifying some determinants of medical care expenditures in the rural Korea. Nine guns were chosen from the eight porvinces, excluding Cheju island. One gun in each province and two villages were selected from the each myon or ub within the selected guns. The total number of households was 1,789 and the sample size was 9,826 non-institutionalized people. Followings are the major findings of the study. 1) Medical care expenditures increase proportionally with age in terms of cost per patient, per episode of illness, per treated case, and per person. Averagely, it cost 2,756 won per patient, 2,614 won per spell of illness, 4,361 won per treated case, and 413 won per person. 2) Medical care expenditures increase proportionally with educational level of patients. College graduates spent the most, 4,726 won per patient, 5,987 won per treated case, and 670 won per person. 3) The male spent a little more than the female in terms of per patient, per episode, and per person. For example, a male spent 23 won more than a female. 4) Those who were suffering from illnesses longer than 1 year spent three times mort than that had illnesses of less than 1 year duration. 5) The simple correlation coefficient between activity restriction and medical care expenditures was the highest among others, 0.491. The next was 0.294 between duration of illness and medical care expenditures. 6) Attempts are made to identify the explanatory variables in medical care expenditures. Thirty one per cent of the variances in the expenditures can be accounted for by the selected 15 predictors. Those predictors belonged to clinical conditions, such as activity restriction, duration of illness, and nature of conditions, are proved to be the most potent independent variables. Level of education and monthly family income are also significant in terms of beta coefficient. Further studies are called for to unreveal the determinants of medical expenditures.
Education ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Firearms ; Health Expenditures* ; Humans ; Jeju-do ; Korea ; Male ; Sample Size

Forensic interpretation of whether the manner of death is suicide or homicide is very important in death cases due to multiple gunshot wounds. We analyzed 18 death cases from multiple gunshot wounds with Korean military rifles (K-1 and K-2) in the Republic of Korea Army from 2000 to 2011. In cases of the suicide, distance of gun from the body was all contact or near-contact range, except for 1 case of near range. When the selector was set to single shot, the initial entrance wounds were formed on the typical suicidal areas. The bullet tracks, however, did not involve the anatomical regions that would cause immediate incapacitation. The following entrance wounds also were sustained on the typical suicidal areas while the bullet tracks were made in the immediate incapacitation regions. When the selector was set to precision shot or multiple shot, the initial entrance wounds were located on typical suicidal areas, and the entrance wounds resulting from following bullets were gradually moving away form the initial entrance wound due to pop-up effect of the rifle. In cases of the homicide, distance of gun from the body was all distant range and the location of entrance wounds were not significantly related to typical suicidal areas.
Firearms ; Homicide ; Humans ; Military Personnel ; Republic of Korea ; Suicide ; Track and Field ; Wounds, Gunshot

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of automated biopsy guns in image-guided biopsy of lung, liver. pancreas and other organs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using automated biopsy devices, 160 biopsies of variable anatomic sites were performed:Biopsies were performed under ultrasonographic(US) guidance in 95 and computed tomographic (CT) guidance in 65. We retrospectively analyzed histologic results and complications. RESULTS: Specimens were adequate for histopathologic diagnosis in 143 of the 160 patients(89.4%)-Diagnostic tissue was obtained in 130 (81.3%), suggestive tissue obtained in 13(8.1%), and non-diagnostic tissue was obtained in 14(8.7%). Inadequate tissue was obtained in only 3(1.9%). There was no statistically significant difference between US-guided and CT-guided percutaneous biopsy. There was no occurrence of significant complication. We have experienced mild complications in only 5 patients-2 hematuria & 2 hematochezia in transrectal prostatic biopsy, and 1 minimal pneumothorax in CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. All of them were resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSION: The image-guided biopsy using the automated biopsy gun was a simple, safe and accurate method of obtaining adequate specimen for the histopathologic diagnosis.
Biopsy* ; Diagnosis ; Firearms* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hematuria ; Image-Guided Biopsy* ; Liver ; Lung ; Pancreas ; Pneumothorax ; Retrospective Studies

Because of the strict gun control system in Korea, deaths from gunfire injury cannot be frequently seen in the legal autopsies. Injuries or deaths among the registered hunters using shotguns, though not common, have been reported via mass media. We experienced a 52-year-old male's shotgun death in which the manner of death was mostly assumed to be a suicide. The shotgun injury presented the billiard ball ricochet effect, in which a large wound was formed on the inner side of the left thoracic cavity by spraying out of pellets while a small entry wound by bunched pellets was on the left anterior chest wall.
Autopsy ; Firearms ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Media ; Middle Aged ; Suicide ; Thoracic Cavity ; Thoracic Wall

PURPOSE: The author wanted to assess the diagnostic accuracy and safety of percutaneous biopsy for lung lesions 1 cm or smaller; the biopsies were performed on the basis of the modified coaxial technique under CT guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients (22 men and 13 women) 23-76 years old (average age: 56.8 years) with lung lesions 1 cm or smaller underwent CT-guided percutaneous biopsy. Fifteen patients had underlying primary malignancies. After an 18 G guiding cannula was introduced to the border of the small lung lesion via the modified coaxial technique, fine-needle aspiration biopsy with 21 G needle and core tissue biopsies with 19.5 G or 20 G biopsy guns were performed through the lumen of the guiding cannula . The core tissue biopsies were finished after 6 macroscopic core tissue specimens were obtained. When the needle hit the eccentric portion of the small lung lesion, a 'fanning-out' technique with using the guiding cannula was applied to get multiple core tissue specimens from the small lung lesion. The diagnostic accuracy of this method was evaluated and the complications were reviewed. RESULTS: Both the cytopathologic and histopathologic specimens were obtained in all 35 cases. The fanning-out technique was necessary in 15 cases (43%) for obtaining six core tissue specimens from small lesions. The final diagnoses were 17 malignant lesions and 18 benign lesions. Sixteen lesions were true-positive, eighteen were true-negative, none was false-positive and one was false-negative. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 97%. The sensitivity for detecting malignancy and the specificity for benign lesion were 94% and 100%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 95%, respectively. The diagnostic ability to characterize the specific cell type of the malignant lesion was 94% (16 of 17), that for the benign lesions was 83% (15 of 18), and overall diagnostic ability was 89% (31 of 35). Five patients (14%) developed a pneumopthorax, and one of them (3%) received a radiologic chest catheter to relieve moderate dyspnea. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous biopsy performed on the basis of the modified coaxial technique under CT guidance for lung lesions 1 cm or smaller is considered to be an accurate and safe procedure.
Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Firearms ; Humans ; Lung* ; Male ; Needles ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax