"Gunshot wounds are caused when a bullet is fired and enters the body. This bullet can travel at over 3,000 miles per hour. The extent of trauma to tissues and organs is determined by ballistics, which is determined by gun type, velocity and mass." (Gunshot Injuries; About Gunshot Wounds (GSW). (n.d.). Simply possessing a firearm puts an individual at risk. A gun in the home is a risk factor for homicide and firearm-related suicide, as well as unintentional injury and death. Firearm "The average direct cost of medical care is approximately $17,000 per firearm injury. Each year, lifetime medical costs are estimated to be between 2 and 3 billion dollars, with assaults accounting for 1.7 billion dollars, or 74% of the total costs. The rate of gunshot wounds was seven times higher among males than females annual rate of fatal and nonfatal gunshot injuries was highest among African American males ages 20 to 24." (Cook PJ, Lawrence BA, Ludwig. J, Miller TR. 1999;281(5):447 -454.) Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? intentional/unintentional cell injury Causes the release of chemical mediators and damages the capillary membrane causing inflammation and damage to the membranes. Antibodies can interfere with cell communication and cause damage. According to Huether, S.E., McCance, K.L., & Parkinson, C. (2008), cell injury caused by a gunshot is penetrating trauma. It is a mechanical injury to the body that involves tearing, cutting and crushing of tissues. The placement and path of the projectile are determinants of injury. These injuries can include severe bleeding, tissue and organ damage, broken bones, wound infections, and paralysis. Physical signs and symptoms will vary depending on the size of the projectile and the area affected. Gunshot wounds most commonly affect the small intestine, colon, and liver. Entrance wounds present with contraction of the elastic tissue around the wound. If the gun had been in contact with the skin, the doctor would have seen burn marks around the wound. Close range wounds have soot deposits around the wound. Long range wounds usually see an "abrasion collar" around the bullet hole. Exit wounds are not always larger than entry wounds, however the skin faces outward. The exit wounds have no abrasion collars, soot or tattoos. Gunshot wounds are particularly prone to anaerobic infections, particularly tetanus and gas gangrene. “Medical staff must ensure up-to-date tetanus coverage and intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis lasting 24-48 hours is usual for fractures caused by high-velocity weapons or shotguns.” (Antibiotic therapy in gunshot wounds. Clinical orthopedics and related research, 408, 82-85). “In the first 10 minutes after injury (the “platinum 10 minutes”), victims are in danger of the typical immediately preventable, life-threatening complications” (Injured in Action: The Platinum Ten Minutes and the Hour gold 2014 Sep; ( 788):14-5) Time elapsed between trauma and presentation greater than 6 hours, presence of shock upon admission to hospital, surgery lasting more than 6 hours, PATI score (index of penetrating abdominal trauma) greater than 25, the presence of more than 2 damaged intra-abdominal organs, the presence of more than 2 damaged extra-abdominal organs and the administration of transfusions.