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The Effects of Bullets

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Ryan's Ballistic Trauma

Abstract

Bullets cause wounds by interacting with body tissues. The kinetic energy (KE) of a bullet is given by the formula KE = 1/2 MV 2, where M is the bullet’s mass and V is the velocity. While the formula indicates how much energy is available, it does not describe how this energy is used nor the surgical magnitude of the problem.

The opinions expressed herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the US Department of the Army, or the US Department of the Air Force, or the US Department of Defense.

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Reference

  1. Emergency War Surgery: 2nd United States revision of the emergency war surgery. NATO Handbook. US Government Printing Office: 1988.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Surgery Department, Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Donald H. Jenkins

Authors
  1. Donald H. Jenkins
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Correspondence to Donald H. Jenkins .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Surgery, Div. Traumatology &, University of Pennsylvania Medical Ctr., Spruce St. 3400, Philadelphia, 19104, Pennsylvania, USA

    Adam J. Brooks

  2. , Academic Department of Military Surgery, Frimley Park Foundation Trust, Surrey, GU16 7UJ, United Kingdom

    Jon Clasper

  3. Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Institute of Research & Development, Acad. Dept. of Military Surgery & Trauma, Vincent Drive, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, United Kingdom

    Mark Midwinter

  4. Birmingham Research Park, Acad. Dept. of Military Emergency Med., Vincent Drive, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, United Kingdom

    Timothy J. Hodgetts

  5. Inst. Research & Development, Dept. Military Anaesthesia, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, United Kingdom

    Peter F. Mahoney

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© 2011 Springer London

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Jenkins, D.H. (2011). The Effects of Bullets. In: Brooks, A., Clasper, J., Midwinter, M., Hodgetts, T., Mahoney, P. (eds) Ryan's Ballistic Trauma. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-124-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-124-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-123-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84882-124-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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