TRANSLATIONAL STUDY OF GUNSHOT INJURY TO THE COLON BY MODERN TYPES OF BULLETS

Gunshot injuries to the colon are frequent in combat casualties, including the current invasion of Russia into Ukraine. Colon wounds are associated with high mortality and severe purulent-septic complications. In this translational study, we investigated gunshot wounds to the colon in 374 servicemen who were injured in East Ukraine. In the experimental part, a special certified ballistic gel 10 % FBI Ballistic Block was used for ballistic analyses of various bullets to confirm clinical data. Data analyses showed that the severity of colon injuries depended on the type of wounding projectile, which was confirmed in gel experiments. The action of the wounding projectile bullet V-Max 5.45x39 mm (with expansive properties) showed significant differences in relation to the colon injury as compared to the usual all-shell claw PS (p<0.05). Hollow-point bullet wounds require different surgical tactics as opposed to full-shell bullet wounds.

Automated summary

Gunshot injuries to the colon are common and severe in combat casualties. This study investigated colon wounds in 374 servicemen injured in East Ukraine and confirmed the impact of different types of wounding projectiles on colon injuries through experimental analysis. The severity of colon injuries varied depending on the type of projectile.