OK, let's say I get shot two times?

Question

What exactly would kill me? Some people just go down and some day later and some make it. Why?

Answer 1

In trauma there are three distinct time periods where people die.

The first group dies almost immediately from overwhelming trauma, or injuries completely incompatable with life. This would include a through and through GSW to the heart. Massive brain trauma from a bullet through the skull would also most likely do this. Massive exsanguination is also in the group, transected aorta, transected vena cava, etc. A lot of the scenarios are clean cut, but there is always variation. These people die on the scene.

The second group of people die (directly) from their injuries, but can live for a few hours without immediate intervention. These are the ones that the trauma system is designed to save. And example would be someone who is shot, develops a pnemothorax (collapsed lung) and utimately dies of hypoxia. The other is a GSW would to the abdomen the nicks the aorta and the bleeding slows, or it hits the renal artery, etc. or someone who sustains a significant injury to the liver or spleen - these people will not bleed as quickly and can be saved with adequate care.

The thrid group are those who die indirectly from their injuries. These are people who survive the trauma, (maybe) make it to a trauma center, but die weeks later from infection, or multi-organ failure. These people we are still working on how to save since their death is often a by-product of the care they received, or an unavoidable consequence of their injury. An example is a GSW to the abdomen that opens the colon. The abdomen becomes contaminated. They are operated on - the damaged bowel is removed, the abdomen is washed out, the patient is put in the ICU and does well for a while, but ultimately die of overwhelming infection caused by a pneumonia two weeks later.

There are a lot of things to consider. That's why trauma surgeons go through 4 years of med school, 5 years of surgical residency, and 1-2 more years of fellowship. There's a lot to learn and it isn't possible to detail even a portion of the information in this forum.

While I advocate for people to go out an learn things first hand, this is one activity that you most certainly don't want to experience first person.

Answer 2

There are many factors which dictate whether or not a bullet wound (or two) will kill you:-
It depends on, for example:-
+ where the bullets struck, including the exact angle and direction
+ size of the bullets
+ velocity of the bullets and the range they were fired from
+ how quickly you received initial medical help
+ the skill of the medics that help you
+ your state of health when you were hit
etc etc

Bullets don't always make a neat hole like you see in the movies - often they tumble end over end in flight and even if they make a small entry wound they usually tumble inside the body causing massive damage to blood vessels and organs - and if they exit the body they usually leave a big hole.

Answer 3

It all depends on how much damage gets done by the bullet and which parts are damaged. Back in '67 I slowed down three 7.62 rounds up by Thang Duc and it wasn't until a day later that I got any medical attention. (It was one *helluva* hot firefight and and we were a bit too busy just staying alive to provide much cover fire for a medevac.) But nothing serious got damaged so I'm here to tell about it.

OTOH, one round thru the head or the heart and it's pretty close to instantaneous. Lungs, liver, a major artery....... A few minutes to maybe a half hour to bleed to death.

Intestinal damage..... Maybe 4 or 5 days for the infection to kill you (with no medical attention)

HTH ☺

Doug

Answer 4

If it strikes a major artery it would kill almost instantly as well as being hit in the brain or heart or lungs, although have to consider time it takes to get attention or haw much you have been bleeding, sometimes you survive the wound but complications like an infecction would end up killing you,sometimes up to a week or more, or maybe a blood clot specially when the wounds are in the lower extremities

Answer 5

depends where the bullets enter, how much blood loss there is....etc
blood loss would kill you first unless the bullet hit the heart or the brain