Possible Gunshot wound scenario? Would this work?

valerielynn · Dec 4, 2012

I've been trying to figure out where I want my character to be shot at. Considering I'm a visual person I decided to take a look at the anatomy of the body to help me to figure this out and I think I may have a possible idea but I just need to know if something like this is possible (which I think it may be). Please tell me if this would work?

The bullet enters the right side of his chest close to the breastbone. The bullet breaks a few ribs in the process. With this kind of a gunshot do you think that there would be lots of blood loss? Would that mean that he would have a punctured or collapsed lung, pneumothorax, and a flailed chest? What would be some other medical issues he would encounter with this kind of an injury? What would be his recovery time for this kind of gunshot wound?

My character is shot because he's working as an undercover cop at a New Years Party where there is a mass shooting. His girlfriend is at the party too and he pushes her out of the way when the shooting starts to occur. His girfriend witnesses him being shot and falling to the ground. I want there to be lots of blood loss cause I want his girlfriend to start worrying when she sees the blood.

Stanmiller · Dec 4, 2012

valerielynn said:
I've been trying to figure out where I want my character to be shot at. Considering I'm a visual person I decided to take a look at the anatomy of the body to help me to figure this out and I think I may have a possible idea but I just need to know if something like this is possible (which I think it may be). Please tell me if this would work?

The bullet enters the right side of his chest close to the breastbone. The bullet breaks a few ribs in the process. With this kind of a gunshot do you think that there would be lots of blood loss? Would that mean that he would have a punctured or collapsed lung, pneumothorax, and a flailed chest? What would be some other medical issues he would encounter with this kind of an injury? What would be his recovery time for this kind of gunshot wound?

My character is shot because he's working as an undercover cop at a New Years Party where there is a mass shooting. His girlfriend is at the party too and he pushes her out of the way when the shooting starts to occur. His girfriend witnesses him being shot and falling to the ground. I want there to be lots of blood loss cause I want his girlfriend to start worrying when she sees the blood.

While I claim in no way any kind of medical knowledge, the chest shot sounds like long-term incapacitating, if not life-threatening. For max gore, you can't beat the scalp wound. Perhaps there's a fancy glass room divider between the well-hung hero and the shooter. The flying glass lacerates the aforesaid hero's scalp and there's blood galore.

Just a thought. Feel free to discard/ignore/regurgitate.

Stan

valerielynn · Dec 4, 2012

I don't want my character to die. I just want him to be injured enough to have lots of blood loss and maybe be in critical or serious condition for the first 48 hrs. What would be some other spots on my characters body where he could get shot and lose lots of blood?

amschilling · Dec 4, 2012

Anywhere with a large artery. My concern w/ a shot close to the breastbone is the heart and the major vessels off it. Any ricochet, bad angle, or shrapnel, and he's toast.

A shot high in the thigh into the femoral artery would cause a mess. But it could also cause him to bleed out before help arrives. So someone at the party better know what to do to slow the bleeding quick. You could go for a neck shot, too, but again--the risk of bleeding out would need to be addressed. We're not talking a half hour for this, but more like one minute without some kind of intervention. Basically the bigger the artery, the less time you have.

FYI: massive blood loss that quick should make him go out like a light from the blood pressure drop. So if you go this route, don't have him awake and talking.

King Neptune · Dec 4, 2012

If you want the girlfriend to worry, lots of blood, and a chest wound, then you might have him shot offcenter so the bullet runs aloong the chest on the outside then hits his upper arm where there is a major artery; although not as large as the femoral artery. There would be enough blood, and the wound wouldn't be life-threatening unless left untreated. I don't know how long the complete recovery would take, but he couled be walking around in less than a week.

valerielynn · Dec 5, 2012

I think I understand what your saying King Neptune but I just want to make sure I understand clearly. So your saying that the bullet hits his chest and makes its way to hitting his upper arm? So my first question would be is would there just be blood from his upper arm or would also be bleeding from his chest?

What about if he's shot in the back and the bullet travels to his chest? Is something like that possible?

I hope I'm not asking too many questions but I'm just trying to work all of this out in my head so it makes sense.

King Neptune · Dec 5, 2012

valerielynn said:
I think I understand what your saying King Neptune but I just want to make sure I understand clearly. So your saying that the bullet hits his chest and makes its way to hitting his upper arm? So my first question would be is would there just be blood from his upper arm or would also be bleeding from his chest?

What about if he's shot in the back and the bullet travels to his chest? Is something like that possible?

I hope I'm not asking too many questions but I'm just trying to work all of this out in my head so it makes sense.

That would also work, but I got the impression that you wanted him up and about in a short time. If a bullet went through his chest cavity, then he would not be up and about quickly. That would produce a major injury from which it would take considerable time to recover.

If you want him out of action for several weeks, or longer, then the chest would would be fine. If you want a messy, bloody wound, then having the bullet hit a major artery outside of the chest would be much better.

valerielynn · Dec 5, 2012

At first I was thinking that I wanted him about and about in a short amount of time but considering the type of injury I want him to have I'm realizing that that just isn't possible. So if he's out of action for several weeks I can live with that.

Thanks for all of your help. It's been very helpful!

King Neptune · Dec 5, 2012

valerielynn said:
At first I was thinking that I wanted him about and about in a short amount of time but considering the type of injury I want him to have I'm realizing that that just isn't possible. So if he's out of action for several weeks I can live with that.

Thanks for all of your help. It's been very helpful!

Good luck with shooting your character.

nikkidj · Dec 14, 2012

I had a patient once who was shot at close range with a shotgun. He had a pneumothorax requiring two chest tubes, had to be intubated and ventilated, and walked out of the hospital 6 days later. We were amazed at how well he did, since we were pretty sure he was going to die that first night. I think the shotgun was the clincher-- the pellets missed his major organs but caused a lot of bleeding and the aformentioned pneumothorax. Close range was also important, since the buckshot didn't go into his abdomen and shred his intestines, causing massive infection.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Bufty · Dec 14, 2012

Only trouble with that is if you put in a book it may be looked at as stretching credibility too far.

Life is often stranger than fiction.

nikkidj said:
I had a patient once who was shot at close range with a shotgun. He had a pneumothorax requiring two chest tubes, had to be intubated and ventilated, and walked out of the hospital 6 days later. We were amazed at how well he did, since we were pretty sure he was going to die that first night. I think the shotgun was the clincher-- the pellets missed his major organs but caused a lot of bleeding and the aformentioned pneumothorax. Close range was also important, since the buckshot didn't go into his abdomen and shred his intestines, causing massive infection.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

valerielynn · Dec 14, 2012

Well look at Ronald Reagan. When he got shot the bullet missed his heart by a few inches and he survived.

Bufty · Dec 14, 2012

Yes, he was lucky, but there are numerous recorded narrow escapes from the passage of a single bullet. It's not exactly on a par with being blasted in the chest at short range from a shotgun.

valerielynn said:
Well look at Ronald Reagan. When he got shot the bullet missed his heart by a few inches and he survived.

Possible Gunshot wound scenario? Would this work?

valerielynn

Stanmiller

valerielynn

amschilling

King Neptune

valerielynn

King Neptune

valerielynn

King Neptune

nikkidj

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

valerielynn

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?