Penetrating thoracic injury from a bean bag round complicated by development of post-operative empyema

Timothy M Guenther; Joshua D Gustafson; Curtis J Wozniak; Scott A Zakaluzny; Garth H Utter

doi:10.1093/jscr/rjaa078

Penetrating thoracic injury from a bean bag round complicated by development of post-operative empyema

J Surg Case Rep. 2020 Apr 24;2020(4):rjaa078. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjaa078. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Authors

Timothy M Guenther^{1

2}, Joshua D Gustafson^{2

3}, Curtis J Wozniak², Scott A Zakaluzny¹, Garth H Utter¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, University of California Davis, 2335 Stockton Blvd, 5th floor, Sacramento CA 95817, USA.
² Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, David Grant USAF Medical Center, 101 Bolin Circle, Travis AFB, CA 95433, USA.
³ Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road Bethesda, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

Abstract

Bean bag guns were developed as a nonlethal means for law enforcement personnel to subdue individuals. The large surface area and lower velocities of the bean bag round theoretically result in transfer of most of the energy to the skin/subcutaneous tissue and minimize the likelihood of dermal penetration, thereby 'stunning' intended victims without causing injury to deeper structures. However, this technology has been associated with significant intra-abdominal and intrathoracic injuries, skin penetration and death. We present a 59-year-old man who sustained a penetrating thoracic injury from a bean bag gun. Although the bean bag was successfully removed, the patient developed a postoperative empyema requiring operative management. We discuss the unique aspects of thoracic trauma from bean bag ballistics as well as considerations in management of patients with this uncommon mechanism of injury.

Keywords: bean bag trauma; empyema; penetrating thoracic trauma.

Publication types

Case Reports