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Title: High-velocity gunshot to the head presenting as initial minor head injury: things are not what they seem. Author: Robles LA. Journal: Am J Emerg Med; 2012 Nov; 30(9):2089.e5-7. PubMed ID: 22386344. Abstract: Tangential gunshots to the head are a special type of injury in which the bullet or bullet fragments do not penetrate the inner table of the skull. Most of patients experiencing this kind of injuries usually have a benign clinical presentation. We describe the case of a 22-year-old soldier who had a tangential gunshot to the head caused by a high-velocity projectile. Initially, the patient was neurologically intact, progressing to profound coma in the next 2 hours. The characteristics of the wound and initial neurologic condition led to first contact physicians to treat this injury as a case of mild head trauma. This case shows us that gunshots to the head caused by high-velocity missiles must be treated aggressively like a severe head injury, even when the initial neurologic examination is normal.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]