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Tue Nov 11 14:29:39 GMT 2008

By the time a bullet travels through the air most of the heat has been lost. I have not seen would with burns on the walls of the skin (or underlying organs) that would demonstrate enough heat from the missile  to kill virus that were present. There have been a couple of studies indicating that bacteria placed on the bullet prior to firing are probably stripped off the bullet while en route by the friction of the air. However, several years ago I read a couple of studies that demonstrated bacteria from clothes on the patient could be transferred into the wound.

It would seem, therefore, that viruses could be transferred in the same way into the body of the second patient. However, would there be a large enough viral load to produce a blood born infection in the second patient? I have never seen any literature that addressed this issue. My WAG would be 'no' but that WAG is totally without scientific support.

Norman

Norman McSwain MD
Professor, Tulane School of Medicine
Trauma Director, Charity Hospital Trauma Center
norman.mcswain at tulane.edu
504 988 5111
-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org] On Behalf Of brenildo
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:28 AM
To: Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list
Subject: Re: Bullet of hepatitis

Possibly a very hot bullet sterilizes any penetrating infection and hepatitis may be included.
But thereafter an open wound may be infected by ir and manipulation, nothin having to do with bullets,
Anyway the hurt person deservesa strict follow up regarding hepatitis possibilities.Breniildo Tavares MD
President
Continuing Medical Education International
Humanitarian Non profit Institution
Dedicated to Medicine Daily Practice Culture
Intelligence and Informatization
Founded in 1970, at  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  ---- Original Message ----- 
  From: Johan Malmgren 
  To: trauma-list at trauma.org 
  Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 2:36 PM
  Subject: Bullet of hepatitis

  Just a question for the more gsw-located people here..:

  A drugdeal here in Sweden was interrupted by the police last week. A drugdealer was shot by the police, the bullet travells through him and into another drugdealer standing behind him. The thing is guy number one has hepatitis c. (yes, the irony...)
  No specific injuries but still some blood. So what do you think, what are the odds of getting hepatitis from this rather unusual way? I don't know the velocity of the weapon but it is a standard handgun. Could the heat from the bullet "disinfect" the viruses?
  Interesting case no matter!
  Regards

  Johan Malmgren 
  Resident, Critical Care, Anaesthesia & Traumatology
  Dept of Anaesthesia and Critical Care
  Sahlgrenska University Hospital
  Gothenburg, Sweden
  +46313428073 [Work]
  +46707696961 [Mobile]

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Bullet of hepatitis