Nothing but hot air?-On the molecular ballistic analysis of backspatter generated by and the hazard potential of blank guns

Survival of a Blank Cartridge Gunshot Injury to the Soft Palate in a Soldier

ABSTRACT

The authors report a case of a soldier who survived after shooting a blank round from a K2 rifle into the oral cavity.For committing suicide, a 22-year-old male soldier shot a K2 rifle into his oral cavity. Because the first shot was a blank fire, he received an injury to his oral cavity, especially to his palate. On arrival hospital via air evacuation, the patient's vital signs were relatively stable and Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15. Profound epistaxis was noted from both nostrils, and his mouth was filled with blood. Intubation was performed immediately, followed by tracheostomy. On computed tomography scan, the palate was injured and laryngeal edema was seen.On operative field, severe swelling of the larynx was observed. Gunpowder remained present throughout nearly the entire palate. His palate was burned, and there was a 3-cm-diameter mucosal defect. The bleeding point was cauterized, and bleeding was controlled using oral packing. The packing was changed every morning for the first 2 days, and finally removed on the third day of hospitalization. On the eighth day of hospitalization, the defect of his soft palate showed healing by secondary intention, and a planned reconstructive operation was not needed. Tracheostomy was removed on the 45th day. He was able to eat and speak at the time of discharge (93rd day).The authors cannot overemphasize the importance of the airway in oral injuries. Packing for bleeding control under a safe airway should be followed as a routine part of the protocol for similar cases.

Ten years of molecular ballistics-a review and a field guide

Molecular ballistics combines molecular biological, forensic ballistic, and wound ballistic insights and approaches in the description, collection, objective investigation, and contextualization of the complex patterns of biological evidence that are generated by gunshots at biological targets. Setting out in 2010 with two seminal publications proving the principle that DNA from backspatter collected from inside surfaces of firearms can be retreived and successfully be analyzed, molecular ballistics covered a lot of ground until today. In this review, 10 years later, we begin with a comprehensive description and brief history of the field and lay out its intersections with other forensic disciplines like wound ballistics, forensic molecular biology, blood pattern analysis, and crime scene investigation. In an application guide section, we aim to raise consciousness to backspatter traces and the inside surfaces of firearms as sources of forensic evidence. Covering crime scene practical as well as forensic genetic aspects, we introduce operational requirements and lay out possible procedures, including forensic RNA analysis, when searching for, collecting, analyzing, and contextualizing such trace material. We discuss the intricacies and rationales of ballistic model building, employing different tissue, skin, and bone simulants and the advantages of the “triple-contrast” method in molecular ballistics and give advice on how to stage experimental shootings in molecular ballistic research. Finally, we take a look at future applications and prospects of molecular ballistics.