Medico-legal Significance of Impact of Firearm Injuries on human body and Gender Disparity of area involved

INTRODUCTION: A firearm may be generally defined as an assembly of a barrel and action from which a projectile is propelled through the deflagration of a propellant. Throughout the world deaths due to firearm weapons have increased tremendously. Every year hundreds of thousands of people die from injuries caused by firearms. In the United States, the risk of death from firearms injuries versus death by RTA is relatively high. There is significant increase during the last decate. The area injured due to firearm is highly significant to determine mortality rate and to update casualty department to make necessary arrangement to save lives. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the study is to determine the most common targeted area involved in firearm injuries in males and females. METHODOLOGY: It is an observational descriptive study conducted for duration of one year in Autopsy Center of Mayo Hospital a tertiary care hospital of Lahore. 576 autopsies were conducted during the year out of which 234 cases were included in the study through non probability convenient technique. Suicidal cases were excluded from the study. The study was conducted in Mayo Hospital, Lahore and data of all firearm fatalities, were collected from the mortuary of the King Edward Medical College, Lahore and data collected during the period from January 2012 to December 2015. RESULTS: 234 firearm fatalities autopsied taken during the period January 2012-December 2015 were studied. 187 (80%) were victims of homicidal attacks, 24 cases (10%) had history of accidental firearm injuries obtained; and in 12 cases (5%) fatalities were suicidal and in the remaining 12 (5%) the cause(s) of firearm injuries were dacoits. CONCLUSION: The firearm injury is more frequent in 21-30 years age group. The Young males are more commonly affected and must be targeted for lifestyle adjustments such as training to refrain from anger or disputes. The most common site of injury is Thorax and frequently injured organs are lungs. KEY WORDS: Firearm injury, autopsy, bullet