Trauma attenuating backing improves protection against behind armor blunt trauma.
BACKGROUND
Body armor is used by military personnel, police officers, and security guards to protect them from fatal gunshot injuries to the thorax. The protection against high-velocity weapons may, however, be insufficient. Complementary trauma attenuating backings (TAB) have been suggested to prevent morbidity and mortality in high-velocity weapon trauma.


METHODS
Twenty-four Swedish landrace pigs, protected by a ceramid/aramid body armor without (n = 12) or with TAB (n = 12) were shot with a standard 7.62-mm assault rifle. Morphologic injuries, cardiorespiratory, and electroencephalogram changes as well as physical parameters were registered.


RESULTS
The bullet impact caused a reproducible behind armor blunt trauma (BABT) in both the groups. The TAB significantly decreased size of the lung contusion and prevented hemoptysis. The postimpact apnea, desaturation, hypotension, and rise in pulmonary artery pressure were significantly attenuated in the TAB group. Moreover, TAB reduced transient peak pressures in thorax by 91%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that ordinary body armor should be complemented by a TAB to prevent thoracic injuries when the threat is high-velocity weapons.
Sondén
Anders
A
Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet at Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden. anders.sonden@sodersjukhuset.se
Rocksén
David
D
Riddez
Louis
L
Davidsson
Johan
J
Persson
Jonas K
JK
Gryth
Dan
D
Bursell
Jenny
J
Arborelius
Ulf P
UP
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004569:Electroencephalography; D044709:Forensic Ballistics; D016014:Linear Models; D011481:Protective Clothing; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013552:Swine; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*