title: Are blank cartridge guns really harmless?
abstract: Blank cartridge guns are devices that discharge sound and gas, but no bullet or shot. These devices are very similar to real guns in the form of their external design and the sound generated during their firing. Although it is widely held in society that these devices are harmless, reports from Turkey and the world have shown that these guns are not entirely innocent. Herein, we present a 26-year-old male with a head injury due to gunshot from a blank cartridge. The purpose of this presentation is to emphasize that these devices are not harmless, contrary to common public opinion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey. dr-ismailgulsen@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gülşen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Bozok University Faculty of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yuzuncu Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sosuncu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Deniz
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bulut
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056424:Decompressive Craniectomy; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D014421:Turkey; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot