GUNSHOT WOUNDS

JAIME RODRIGO L LEAL, M.D.

Penetrating GSW: Occur when a bullet enters an object and does not exit.
Perforating GSW: The bullet passes completely through the object.
Categories:
1. Contact GSW
- The muzzle of the weapon is held against the surface of the body at the time of discharge.
- May be hard, loose, angled or incomplete.
a. Hardcontact !"#
- The muzzle of the weapon is jammed $hard$ against the s%in, indenting it, so that the s%in en&elops
the muzzle.
- The immediate edges of the entrance are seared by the hot gases of combustion and blac%ened by
the soot, which is embedded in the seared s%in and cannot be completely remo&ed either by
washing or &igorous scrubbing of the wound.
b. 'oosecontact !"#
- The muzzle is held lightly against the s%in.
- "oot is deposited in a zone around the entrance. This soot can be easily wiped away.
c. (ngledcontact !"#
- The barrel is held at an acute angle to the s%in so that the complete circumference of the muzzle is
not in contact with it.
- !as and soot escaping from the gap, where contact is not complete, radiate outward from the
muzzle, producing an eccentrically arranged pattern of soot.
d. )ncomplete contact !"#
- *ariation of anglecontact wounds.
- Muzzle in contact with contoured s%in surface +the body surface is not completely flat, resulting in
muzzles%in gap.
- *ariably located seared blac%ened zone adjacent to the wound.
2. Near contact
- Muzzle a &ery short distance from s%in +gray zone between contact and intermediaterange wounds,.
- #ide blac%ened zone of soot ba%ed into seared s%in around wound +may not be distinguishable from loose
contact,.
- )n near contact angled wounds, the blac%ened seared zone on same side as muzzle, i.e., pointing toward the
weapon. That is the opposite of what is found in angled contact wounds.
3. Intermediate
- Muzzle to target distance within about arms length, i.e., - . feet.
- "ine /ua non is indi&idual, redbrown to orangered propellant grain or powder tattooing.
- May be bloc%ed by hair or clothing.
- 0owder tattooing is an antemortem phenomenon and indicates that the indi&idual was ali&e at the time
when shot.
- 0ostmortem tattooing ha&e a moist gray or yellow appearance rather than the reddishbrown to orangered
coloration of an antemortem wound.
- 1annot be wiped away.
4. Distant
- Muzzle to target distance greater than about . feet.
Entrance versus Exit Wounds
2ntrance #ounds:
- "maller than exit wounds
- 0resence of an abrasion ring or contusion collar which occurs when the bullet abrades the edges of the
hole as it indents and pierces the s%in3 not due to the bullet4s rotational mo&ement as it goes through the
s%in3 also not due to the bullet burning the s%in3 entrance wounds of the palms and the soles as well as
reentry wounds of the axilla usually do not ha&e abrasion rings
- O&al to circular in appearance3 welldefined shape
2xit wounds:
- 'arger than entrance wounds
- (bsence of contusion collar
- )rregular, not welldefined3 can be stellate, slitli%e, crescent, circular or completely irregular
- "hored exit wounds exit wounds with abraded margins
!isce""aneous Entrance Wounds
5. !razed !"# shallow3 no actual perforation or tearing of the s%in
-. Tangential !"# extends down through the "6 tissue3 s%in is lacerated or torn by the bullet
.. "uperficial perforating !"# shallow through and through wounds in which the entrance and exit are close
7. 8eentry wounds bullet has passed one part of the body and then reentered another part
9. "horing of an entrance wounds
Sti##"ing Po$der tattooing versus Pseudo%#o$der tattooing
5. "tippling
-. 0owder tattooing differentiate from postmortem insect bites
.. 0seudopowder tattooing
&icoc'et (u""ets
)u""et $ounds of t'e s*u""
5. :e&elling
-. !utter wounds tangential wounds of the s%ull
.. ;eyhole wound of the bone bullet stri%es the s%ull at a shallow angle
Ca"i(er determination from entrance $ounds % The caliber of the bullet that caused an entrance wound in the
s%in cannot be determined by the diameter of the entrance
)u""et $i#e % !ray coloration to the abrasion ring due to soot
)ac*s#atter % ejection of blood and tissue from a !"# of entrance
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