More information -
Paralysis was something we all thought at the time.
Upon turning the victim over to address the exit wound, we noted it was about an inch & a half away from the actual spine. But close enough that I can not say if it wasn't a factor. Or if the spine wasn't damaged somehow by the proximity of the wound.
There was allot more going that we couldn't see. Damage to the spinal cord even with out a direct hit is very possible. The shot went through the sternum. Which isn't a thin weak bone.
So what it did when it moved through the body and passing by the spine or by how close. I also don't know.
But speculation we couldn't do. We had to address what we saw & choose then.
I personally feel the patients sympathetic response was limited. The proximity to the spine would be my guess. But I just don't know.
Blood transfusions were performed. We were almost pouring it into the patient. I have to be vague about some details intentionally for patient privacy.
But the amount of fluids we were giving was allot as an understatment.
This case is one for our books as it brings allot to the table for any team to address.
As we do compressions, we can't address the bleeding wound on the back. And can't get enough hands on to address the wound to the front because we had to keep on compressions.
There were hard calls to make. Several times we were able to stop and get started on the patients back when it seemed the situation became more stable.
Both wounds were very similar in the amount of fluid loss. (still more from the front would be my guess)
And both wounds pumped blood out as we performed compressions...
The location of the shot, made our attempts to address the wounds while simultaneously performing critical compressions feel feeble.
If the shot didn't penetrate as far as it did, it would of made our job easier.
Knowing a jhp would dump more energy & cause more damage still isn't a reassuring thought.
So I won't speculate if the patient would of survived from a jhp.
The few of us that know what the difference is in the ER agreed that we wished it was a jhp because this is certain -
It would of given us one less serious gushing wound to address, causing less fluid loss & decreasing the chance of spinal injury/shock from the proximity of the wound. Changing the entire dynamic in our response to attend to the wound.
Having these two wounds in this case set in motion a series of fatal events inside the patient.
Being struck anywhere between the nipples & the chin with a fmj or jhp is going to cause something very bad to happen. Being an highly vascular area of the body & sudden change to venous pressure could/would be catastrophic.
One of us talked to the police to get some more details. The account they told us was the shot buckled this 180lbs victim from their early first contact with those at the scene who were eye witnesses.
(didn't fall backwards, knees went out & then collapsed to the side in fetal position)
The challenge to keep switching ER Tech's every 5m to 10m to perform chest compressions while performing blood transfusion. Then to just have it pumped in & right back out again.
We had people waiting in a small line to switch off for compressions...
The heart was intact, (pulse) and could without a doubt function. But as to it's functioning properly? we didn't have the time to tell.
The amount of fluid in the upper chest was very notable. And when I say fluid, I mean blood as one poster asked.
5 hours later of intense work. The patient couldn't hang on. The only other option was air evac to our major city which he would not have survived in our opinion.
If we had a vascular surgeon here the patient would of could of made it IMO.
Everyone was wiped out. All of us could of gone on for days for this patient. But in the end it, the situation didn't become stable enough to perform any move or procedure other than what we did. (RIP)
As to the events leading up to this. It wasn't a case of wrong place wrong time. Sounds like a crowd of people in the street fighting.
Looks like the victim was a somewhat willing participant in the event that lead to their own death. The knuckles on each of the patients hands had signs of impact.
And I would like to stress the shape the patient was in. Top shape. Not linebacker big. But large in muscle mass & tone. And average height.
The patient had everything a person needs & more for anyone to survive an event like this. The amount of time it took from the shot fired to the ride into the ER was less then 8m from what I know!
Time, physical condition & youth was on the patients side. By far.
If this topic does anything for anyone, is great.
One thing I would like others to take away is the leathality of any projectile.
There are posts all over the internet on forums who's topic states the 9mm (or any fmj round) lacks the power to stop a person dead.
When I see these ignorant posts saying "they would rather have a rock or sharp stick than a 9mm fmj vs whatever". I will now do my part to educate instead of just rolling on...
Please don't make this a thread on bullet design. But that no matter the bullet design, all of them are capable in stopping a person in their tracks and ending life. Period.
For others online to have a cavalier attitude towards fmj is an outright disservice to those reading the forums who don't have the knowledge that all bullets posses inherent lethality & thus furthering a cavalier attitude.
I've Seen a few GSW to date. Each time drives home the old lesson of safety.
Stay alive, stay safe everyone
