Spinal Gunshot Wound With an Air Rifle: A Case Report

Cureus. 2022 Nov 16;14(11):e31597. doi: 10.7759/cureus.31597. eCollection 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Spinal gunshot injuries are one of the most serious injuries that can cause morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a nine-year-old boy, referred to our emergency department from another hospital, with lower limb weakness after being shot by an air gun in his back. After extensive investigation, it appeared that a foreign body representing the bullet was found in his spinal canal; the patient was taken to the operating room for surgical decompression and removal of foreign bodies. After that, the patient started to show partial improvement in his neurological deficits and is to be continued on physiotherapy.

Keywords: gunshot; physiotherapy; spinal cord injury; surgical decompression; weakness.

Publication types

  • Case Reports