A clinical case of surgical treatment of a gunshot injury to the chest organs in a child
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/PS.2026.1(90).142149Keywords:
children, air gun, chest injury, pediatric surgery, emergency careAbstract
Air guns, often mistakenly considered harmless, are capable of causing severe penetrating injuries in children, including damage to the lungs, pericardium, and heart. The increasing incidence of such injuries makes this issue highly relevant to pediatric surgery and traumatology.
Aim - to summarize current data on the clinical presentation, diagnostics, complications, and treatment of pediatric gunshot chest injuries based on a literature review and a clinical case observation.
Scientific publications (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Medline, 2018-2025) were analyzed, and a clinical case of a 10-year-old patient with an air gun chest injury complicated by hemopericardium and cardiac tamponade is presented. The most common causes of these injuries are accidental shootings during play, careless handling of weapons, and their accessibility to children. Clinical manifestations range from localized pain to severe respiratory and hemodynamic disturbances. Patient management should follow ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support): principles: airway protection, hemodynamic stabilization, and early diagnosis (extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (eFAST), X-ray, computed tomography). In the reported case, an emergency sternotomy, pericardial drainage, and repair of the damaged structures under cardiopulmonary bypass were performed. The postoperative course was favorable.
Conclusions. Air guns pose a potential threat to children’s lives due to the possibility of deep penetrating injuries. Rapid diagnosis, adherence to ATLS protocols, and timely surgical intervention determine the prognosis. The highest risk of fatal outcomes is observed in cases of cardiac or major vessel injury. Most children recover without long-term consequences when treated early. Prevention should include strict weapon storage control, increased parental awareness, and legislative restrictions on minors’ access to weapons.
The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from the patients for the study.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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