Characteristics of Abdominal Gunshot Wounds in Civilian Populations Using Modern Firearms

Relevance In the post-war period, both firearms and their delivery methods have undergone significant advancements. These developments have led to changes in the nature of injuries, including those sustained by civilian populations.

The aim of the study To conduct a comparative analysis of the characteristics of abdominal gunshot wounds among civilian patients resulting from the use of modern firearms during two military campaigns.

Material and methods The study included 100 civilian patients with gunshot wounds. The main group consisted of 50 patients injured during the special military operation; the comparison group included 50 patients injured during the Chechen campaign. Of the total participants, 67 (67%) were male and 33 (33%) were female. The mean age was 35±6 years.

Results The study revealed that, under current conditions, civilian patients predominantly sustain shrapnel and multiple abdominal injuries involving damage to both parenchymatous and hollow organs, which contributes to the development of peritonitis. According to literature data, the incidence of complications in peritonitis is 43.8%, with a mortality rate of 4.9%. However, our findings indicate significantly higher complication rates in the main group (42%) compared to the comparison group (28%), while mortality was lower in the main group (18%) than in the comparison group (34%). This discrepancy may be attributed to more severe shrapnel injuries characteristic of modern warfare—such as those caused by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—which intensify the severity of peritonitis and complicate treatment compared to the Chechen campaign period, where injuries primarily resulted from automatic firearms. According to our data, patients in the main group exhibited a predominance of more severe forms of peritonitis, leading to complications observed in 26% of cases and a mortality rate of 9%.

Conclusion Abdominal gunshot wounds in civilian patients in the current era are characterized by multiple shrapnel injuries, the development of severe peritonitis, and high rates of complications.

1. Savchenko VI. Features of Wounds Caused by Present-Day Firearms. Pacific Medical Journal. 2003;(3):13–17. (In Russ.)

2. Maslyakov VV, Sidelnikov SA, Barachevskiy YE, Kurkin KG, Pimenova AA, Polidanov MA, et al. Simultaneous Mass Admission of Emergency Victims to Medical Treatment Organizations: Organizational Problems and Possible Ways to Solve Them. Disaster Medicine. 2023;2:51–55. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.33266/2070-1004-2023-2-51-55

3. Dadaev AYa, Maslyakov VV, Kindarov ZB, Barsukov VG, Gorbelik VR, Kurkin KG, et al. Medical aspects of treatment of gunshot wounds in civilians injured in a local military conflict. Bulletin of the medical Institute “Reaviz”: rehabilitation, doctor and health. 2019; 2: 92–98. (In Russ.)

4. Polidanov MA, Maslyakov VV, Barulina MA, Kapralov SV, Parshin AV, Uryadov SE, et al. Prediction of Complications in Gunshot Wounds of the Pelvis in Women Received in Armed Conflict. Russian Sklifosovsky Journal Emergency Medical Care. 2025;14(1):104–111. https://doi.org/10.23934/2223-9022-2025-14-1-104-111

5. Polidanov MA, Volkov KA, Maslyakov VV, Barulina MA, Parshin AV, Sukhoi DV, et al. Possibilities of using gradient bousting algorithms to predict complications in patients with surgical peritonitis. Russian Journal of Operative Surgery and Clinical Anatomy. 2024;8(3):5–13. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17116/operhirurg202480315

6. Gumanenko EK, Boyarintsev VV, Suprun TYu, Lyashed’ko PP. Ob”ektivnaya otsenka tyazhesti travm. Saint-Petersburg; 1999. (In Russ.)

7. Levchuk AL, Ignatiev TI, Vinogradov AV. Widespread Peritonitis in Penetrating Gunshot Wounds of the Abdomen With Damage to Internal Organs. Bulletin of Pirogov National Medical & Surgical Center. 2025;20(1):74–79. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25881/20728255_2025_20_1_74

8. Bordakov PV, Zubritskiy VF, Bordakov VN, Samatyya VS. Osobennosti ognestrel’nogo peritonita. In: Aktual’nye voprosy voennoy meditsiny: materialy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem (Minsk, 26 iyunya 2024 g.). Minsk; 2024. pp. 32–34. (In Russ.) Available at: https://rep.bsmu.by/bitstream/handle/BSMU/43245/32_34.pdf [Accessed Mar 16, 2026]

9. Maistrenko NA, Sazonov AA. Gunshot Peritonitis: Clinical Features and Treatment Tactics. Corporate Health and Industrial Medicine. 2024;l(1):20–30. (In Russ.)