Celebratory gunfire injury to a United States soldier sustained during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)

Abstract

This case documents the care of a 22-year-old deployed male, active duty U.S. Army soldier who was referred to a forward surgical team for a “palpable foreign body” in his left posterior arm. The evening prior, his unit had been dispatched to control what was thought to be enemy activity in the city, due to reported multiple instances of gunfire. This soldier, with his unit, arrived on the scene in a small town in Iraq to investigate the situation. Upon arrival, the unit found that the gunfire was celebratory. The citizens of the city were firing weapons into the night sky in celebration of the capture and death of Saddam Hussein's sons. There was no direct gunfire targeted at the soldier or his unit. However, during the mission, the patient felt a sharp pain in the posterior aspect of the left shoulder. He was unsure as to the source of the pain, and had a medic evaluate his shoulder later that evening. The medic who examined him was not overly concerned due to the perceived benign exam findings and advised the soldier to return to duty. The patient continued with his mission until the following day, when he continued to be bothered by the discomfort. He examined the remainder of his arm and palpated a hard mass in his left triceps region, along with a small wound in his posterior upper left arm. This case illustrates the many dangers that our soldiers face while deployed, as well as reinforcing the evidence that celebratory gunfire can become a dangerous event causing significant morbidity and even mortality for those who are unfortunate enough to become a victim.