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Mon Jul 16 23:00:30 BST 2007

One final symptomatic reason for bullet removal, and seen not infrequently
in war zones by surgeons of the International Committee of the Red Cross:
sepsis with the bullet serving as a foreign body. However, the occurrence of
infection is far lower than one would expect.

The existence of asymptomatic retained bullets and various metallic
fragments in literally thousands of people in various countries afflicted by
armed conflict is one of the greatest headaches surgeons face. The surgeon
must become a psychologist and try to convince people that a fragment or
bullet is really only dangerous when moving; once it comes to rest in the
body, the danger is mostly gone. Not always an easy task such convincing,
especially when the patient, or his friends, are carrying an AK-47.

-- 
christos giannou
Monemvasia Lakonia
23070 Greece
tel & fax: (++30) 27320-61772

Senior Surgeon
ICRC

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Bullet removal