Rev Invest Clin
-
Review Case Reports
[Embolism caused by a bullet. Report of a case and review of the literature].
We describe the case of a 23 years old male, who suffered a 45 bullet wound in the arm and upper right hemithorax. He walked after his injury and 10 minutes later presented dizziness, cough and tachycardia. On admission a minor haemothorax was seen on a chest X ray, but the bullet was not seen. ⋯ Through a posterolateral thoracotomy the slug was obtained. The recovery was uneventful and he has remained well since. We discuss the possible mechanisms to explain the entrance of the bullet into the vascular system and conclude that in cases of gunshot wounds: a) An exit wound must be always searched for; if not found exploratory X ray are mandatory, b) If the bullet is not found, specially after thoracic injuries, bullet embolism should be contemplated, c) If there are signs of regional ischemia arteriography is mandatory.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)