Background: Low-velocity rubber bullets were used by Israeli police to control riots by Israeli-Arabs in early October, 2000. We aimed to establish the factors that contribute to severity of blunt and penetrating injuries caused by these missiles.
Methods: We analysed medical records of 595 casualties admitted. We assessed relation of severity of injury to type of bullet, anatomical region of injury, and final outcome. Severity of injury was established by the abbreviated injury scale, and we calculated injury severity score.
Findings: 151 males and one female (age range 11-59 years) were included in the study, in whom 201 proven injuries by rubber bullets were detected. Injuries were distributed randomly over the body surface and were mostly located in the limbs (n=73), but those to the head, neck, and face (61), chest (39), back (16), and abdomen (12) were also frequently noted. 93 (61%) patients had blunt injuries and 59 (39%) penetrating ones. Severity of injury was dependent on ballistic features of the bullet, firing range, and anatomic site of impact. Two casualties died after a penetrating ocular injury into the brain and one died as a result of postoperative aspiration after a knee injury.
Interpretation: Resistance of the body surface at the site of impact (elastic limit) is the important factor that ascertains whether a blunt or penetrating injury is inflicted and its severity. Inaccuracy of rubber bullets and improper aiming and range of use resulted in severe injury and death in a substantial number of people. This ammunition should therefore not be considered a safe method of crowd control.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08708-1 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Protest-related injuries during the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone protest in Seattle, Washington, USA in 2020.
Inj Prev
January 2025
Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Introduction: George Floyd's death in 2020 galvanised large protests around the country, including the emergence of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle, Washington, a non-policed, organised protest region that may have differing injury risks than other regions. We sought to quantitatively describe characteristics of injuries related to protests documented at visits to two nearby major emergency departments, including the only Level 1 trauma centre in the state.
Methods: Using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision code inclusion criteria, we identified 1938 unique patient visits across the two emergency departments from 29 May 2020 and 1 July 2020.
Gunshot Wounds to the Head: 29 Cases of Monocenter Children's Trauma Hospital Experience and Predictor Scales in Pediatric Population.
World Neurosurg
November 2024
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Moscow Regional Scientific Research Clinical Institute M.F. Vladimirsky, Moscow, Russia.
Objectives: Gunshot wounds to the head (GSWTH) in children remain an underexplored area, and all clinical guidelines extrapolated from adult experiences. A key challenge in treating these patients is age stratification, as pediatric survival rates are notably higher than in adults. The objective of the study is to compare 2 groups of patients based on the severity of their condition and to analyze the impact of various factors on the outcomes of these conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExperience and struggle of a survivor of eye mutilation by rubber bullets.
Torture
July 2024
Survivor and Founder Member of Stop Bales de Goma / Stop Rubber Bullets.
Article Synopsis
- Carles Guillot, a 52-year-old man, was shot in the face by police during a protest 23 years ago, which damaged his right eye permanently.
- After the shooting, he had to wait for hours before getting help, and his friends took him to a hospital to keep him safe from the police.
- Carles had a tough time dealing with his injury, feeling a lot of pain, headaches, and a lot of anger about what happened.
Introduction: Rubber bullets are projectiles whose use is potentially lethal. Between 1976 and 2017, they have caused at least 23 deaths and dozens of injuries in Spain, many of them serious, with loss of sight being the main type. In the period 2000 - 2020 alone, more than 40 people have been affected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The article talks about how people at protests in South Africa have gotten hurt in the eyes by rubber bullets shot by police.
- It shares personal stories from three different events to show what happened and how these injuries changed their lives.
- The article says that using rubber bullets leads to many eye injuries and that the injured people really need more help from doctors, counselors, and legal services.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!