Severe Facial and Ocular Injuries From a Potato Gun

Abstract

Potato guns or spud guns are homemade firearms built primarily for recreational use. Information on how to make these can be found easily by searching the topic on the Internet. There is a surplus of Web sites dedicated to providing information to anyone looking to make one of their own. We present an interesting case that illustrates the extent of trauma, which can be caused by these dangerous devices. Despite the growing information available for consumers of any age, there is little information for clinicians regarding these devices and the serious threat of injury that they pose. The current trauma and injury databases, unfortunately, do not gather data pertaining specifically to these devices. In addition, because they are homemade and primarily built for recreational purposes, their use is not controlled or regulated by the government. It is important for clinicians to be aware of homemade firearms such as potato guns, be prepared to manage injury from these devices, and as with other weapons or firearms provide patients and families with the appropriate anticipatory guidance.