Wounds by

shotguns
BY DILNAAZ BAIG
ROLL NO-8 BATCH 2015 II MBBS
Character of the wound depends
on
 (I) the distance from which the weapon is discharged
 The discharge produces a
 - long , shallow cone with its apex close to muzzle of the
shotgun
 - the farther along the con the victim is situated The
larger will be the wound pattern
 (I) Contact and near contact wounds
 - single
 - usually round
 - equal to the bore in size
 - often ragged because of individual shot
 - tearing due to gasses
 Tight contact wound , soiling and burning are minimal or absent
and muzzle impression is seen
 Muzzle imprint may be an incomplete , indistinct bruise or rarely
may be a perfect imprint of the end of the weapon.
 In a double-barrel shotgun , the unused barrel often leaves a
characteristic patterned abrassion
 Back Spatter – in contact shot , the muzzle blast and the
negative pressure in the barrel following discharge may suck
blood , hair , fragments of the tissues and the cloth fibres several
cm back inside
 The barrel
 Plastic wads retain their shape and diameter within the body , but
felt and cardboard wads suck up blood amd body fluids and swell

 Contact shot over a bony area

 Crusiate , stellate or ragged laceratiins are seen especially if there
is a thick bone immediately under the skin
 Due to the extreme force ofnthe blowback phenomenon.'c as the
gases expand beneath the skin and lacerate the margins of the
wound , as they exit through the original entry wound
 Contact wounds on the head produce greater disruption of the
 Margins , amd often show subsidiary linear teras in the skin
extending from the margins of the main wound
 A large irregular hole is produced in the skull , with fissured
fractures running from its margins .
 A large exit wound may be produced with the disruption of the
cranium and projection of brain tissue for some distance .
 Burst Head – an eye may be blown out of its socket
 In loose contact or near contact shot , some of the gases escape
woth the resulting scattering of the muzzle blast and an unusual
arrangement of soot is seen on the skin known as corona.
 Clothes – if the part is clothed , smoke will escape sideways amd
may be found in wach layer of clothing and on the skin . The
cloth may be singed at the edge of the hole , and there may be a
ring of burning around the skin wound

 (2) Close Range – upto one metre

a) within 30cm
surrounding tissues ate singed by flame ., and blackened by
smoke , and tattooed by unburnt or partially burnt powder
granules .
As the range becomes greater , the intensity of blackening and
tattooing decrease and the spread increases in a fairly regular
 Regular manner
 B) between 30 cm to one meter
 The wound is single, circular or oval , similar to contact wounds ,
though the blackening and tattooing are more extensive
 The margins of the skin wound may be clean cut or slightly
ragged
 C)At the distance of 60 to 90 cm
 The small shot produce a single circular aperture , 2.5 to 4 cm , in
diameter , with irregular and lacerated edges .
 Ni burning or blackening with some amount of tattooing I

 The tissues within and around the wound are nit cherry red
 3) Short range (1-2 meters)
 A single circular aperture 4-5 cm in diameter with irregular and
lacerated edges is produced .
 No burning , blackening or tattooing
 The shot mass enters the body in one mads producing a round
hole four to five cm in diameter for all gauges and all chokes
 4) Intermediate range (2-4 metres)
 At a distance of two meters, the shot mass begins to spread and
individual pellet holes may be detected , which are usually round
and shows a rim of abrasion at their margins
 Wound entry is irregular
 5) Long or distant range ( above 4 meters)
 All shots penetrate separately
 In the skull , the energy of the shots is greatly reduced
perforating the skin and bone so that they usually do not travel
the entire brain substance .
Thank you