5 Deaths Walden R. 1990 Plastic/* * 1/1 Yes Arterial embolization. Survived Missliwetz J. 1991 Plastic pellets 1 g/302 m/s/ 694J 4.5 4/1 Yes Soft tissue injury Survived Yellin A. 1992 Plastic 8.5 g/*/* * 26/26• Yes Lung contusion (18) rib fracture #IPI-549 datasheet randurls[1|1|,|CHEM1|]# (8), hemo-pneumothorax (6), cardiac injury (3) sternal fracture (1), scapula fracture (1), vascular injury (5), esophageal injury (1) 1 Death Hiss J. 1997 Rubber and steel/15.4 g/100 m/s/41.5 J and Plastic 0.85 g/1225 m/s/663.7 J * 17/2 Yes Lung and heart lacerations 2 Deaths Voiglio E.J 1998 Rubber pellets/*/* Contact
1/1 Yes Hemothorax, rib fracture, cardiac laceration. Died Chute DJ 1998 Plastic 79.4 g/74 m/s/220 J * 1/1 No Hemothorax, rib fracture, lung laceration, cardiac laceration Died Steele J.A 1999 Plastic 135 g/70 m/s/332 J * 155/25 * * All survived Mahajna A. 2002 Rubber check details 48 g/130 m/s/46 J and 17 g/78 m/s/33 J 30–80 152/39 Yes Lung contusion and rib fracture (8), pneumothorax (6), hemothorax (4), cardiac tamponade (1), cardiac contusion (1), vascular injury (1) All survived Kalebi A. 2005 Rubber pellets
*/*/* * 1/1 Yes Hemothorax, lung laceration, rib fracture Died Hughes D. 2005 Plastic 98 g/64 m/s/244 J * 28/7 No Lung contusion All survived Wahl P. 2006 Rubber 28 g/*/200 J 2 2/1 No Lung contusion, cardiac contusion Survived Maguire K. 2007 Plastic attenuated energy 28 g/*/200 J * 13/2 No Pneumothorax (1) Survived Chowaniec C. 2008 Rubber 8 g/94 m/s/40 J and pellets 0.3 g/215 m/s/7.3 J * 1/1 Yes Hemothorax, lung laceration, cardiac laceration Died Rezende-Neto J. 2009 Rubber attenuated energy 19 g/130 m/s/ 200 J 2
1/1 Yes Pneumothorax, lung laceration Survived Range in meters; * Missing information; ^children; • only patients with penetrating chest injuries were included in the study. When a projectile strikes a person, its kinetic energy at impact is defined by its mass and its velocity (1/2 × mass × velocity2). Ballistic studies suggest that a projectile needs to apply a “”threshold Reverse transcriptase energy density”" of greater than 0.1 J/mm2 to skin in order to penetrate and cause internal injuries [5]. Manufacturers of rubber bullets modify the composition (mass: rubber vs lead), ballistic properties (velocity) and size (cross-sectional area) in order to reduce the likelihood of skin penetration. Furthermore, law-enforcement officers often have specific “”rules of engagement”" for using these types of munitions that further reduce the likelihood of penetration and serious injury; such rules include firing at distances over 40 meters and changing the point of aim to body regions where skin has increased elastic properties (lower anterior abdomen or thigh) to allow the energy to dissipate over a larger cross-sectional area [6]. One broad classification of “”less lethal”" impact munitions is direct versus indirect fire rounds.