Socio-demographic pattern and physical features of firearm injury cases: A clinical forensic medicine study

Introduction: Firearm injury is one ofthe important causes ofmorbidity & mortality in India and Punjab is not an exception to this. Methods: A study of 100 firearm cases was carried out at GMC, Amritsar to analyze the details of the physical characteristics of firearm injuries.

Results: Majority of victims were males belonging to Sikh community from rural area. Examination of clothing was conducted in 67% of cases in which corresponding tear/cuts and stain was present in 85% of cases, while blackening and burning was observed in 24% cases. Entry wounds were found mostly on the Limbs; 52% in Lower Limbs, 34% in upper Limbs followed by 33% on Thorax. In most of the entry wounds 85.16 % margins were inverted and shape was oval 61. 94%. Physical characters like abrasion collar (AC) was observed in 19.35%, burning in 11.61% and contusion ring (CR) in 8.38%, blackening in 7.09% and singeing of hair in 5.8% of cases. As far as study of exit wound is concerned they were present only in 23% cases and were present mostly on the Limbs; 65.21% in upper limb and 26.09% in lower Limbs and their margins were everted in 86.96% cases. Foreign bodies were present in 60.65% cases and fracture in 15% cases while nature of Injury was simple in most ofthe 84% cases.

Conclusions: In this study of Firearm Injuries, entry wounds were more common than exit wounds and were mostly smaller in size, circular in shape with inverted margins and showing AC, CR, blackening and singeing of hair as compare to exit wounds which were larger in size.