shrapnel question 2: Can shrapnel kill you if it hits you in the head?

[trumad]

or Heart or a critical vein?

Thank you,

tru

[Emboldened Chimp]

1. I would think so

Robert Graves (I, Claudis) nearly died from a piece of shrapnel that went through his lung. So it's safe to assume that a chunk of metal flying through your brain might trigger death.

[Wickerman]

2. No, it can rip your legs off

but has tremendous respect for that thing that sits on top of your shoulders and leaves it be. /sarcasm.

Actually, I think I see where you are going and like it.

[kalian]

3. Depends on the size of the piece of shrapnel....

and the force with which it impacts the body.
Shrapnel is just "unruly" projectiles that fly in all directions
from an explosive force. In most cases, its the exploding devices
outer casing that is "fragmented" and spewed throughout its
blast radius. Shrapnel can also be stones, etc. that are blown away
along with the explosion.

Whether it can kill you by hitting you in the head...of course it
can.

[Warpy]

4. Yes

Additionally it can cause severe brain or spinal cord injury requiring a lifetime of medical care.

[sce56]

5. Any shrapnel can kill you

It all depends upon how much energy is behind it. Of course a flying can of Bud Light could kill you all so if it was droped from the third floor of a building and a fall from a barstool would also qualify it you broke your neck when you hit the floor! That is about the speed of our Prez who almost bought it with a pretzel!


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[onecitizen]

6. Absolutely.........

OR it might do little damage. But yes it could kill you.

[loathesomeshrub]

7. Not if you are * or his cabal - Nothing there to damage

[guitar man]

8. Sure enough

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4694617/

[Lisa]

9. shrapnel cases in WWII ...

"Shrapnel" commonly refers to everything (things put inside an explosive device like pellets or nails, or shell fragments, or bits of nearby debris that got caught up in the explosion) which goes flying.

Apparently shell fragments killed a lot of troops. In some situations, more people died from the bits-and-pieces than were shot by enemy bullets. (And it doesn't have to hit you in the head to kill you -- shock and loss of blood would do the trick.) Check out this casualty list from May-June of 1940.
http://www.secondlincs.co.uk/casualties.htm

Here's a close-up of a piece of shell casing, compared to the "original" kind of shrapnel ball. Anyone feel comfortable with things like that coming close enough to break the skin?


http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/shrapnel.htm

[trumad]

14. great post Lisa..Thanks

[FlaGranny]

10. I know of a case where a boy died after

being hit in the head with a B-B. So, the answer is yes.

[kskiska]

11. What's the difference between shrapnel and flak?

My dad bailed out of a B-17 in WWII and was wounded in the hand by flak – a big hole. Luckily, the Germans repaired the damage and he regained full use of it. Is flak the same as shrapnel, just shot up in the air?

[guitar man]

12. Flak

Flak is antiaircraft rounds generally designed to explode at preset altitudes. The result of the explosions throws shrapnel.

[kskiska]

13. Thank you, GTRMAN

I've always wondered that.

[Lisa]

16. thanks ...

I'd wondered that too, hearing stories from an ex-bomber crewman neighbour about "flak over the Ruhr Valley" -- anti-aircraft fire. I guess that "flak jackets" should really be called "shrapnel jackets", technically speaking, since troops on the ground are using them too.

[Nlighten1]

15. Of course it can.

Shrapnel is nasty!

[Juansmith]

17. Uh...

That seems like kind of an odd question.

"Can a nickel kill you if it hits you in the head, heart, or a critical vein?"

Same answer:
Yes, but it depends on many factors (how fast it's going, how deep it wounds you, whether it's lodged or falls out, whether there's an exit wound, etc.)

On a minor note, I assume you mean arteries.

If you hit someone in a vein (brings deoxygenated blood back into the heart), they would bleed, but not as rapidly as if you struck an artery (takes fresh, oxygenated blood out of the heart).

[trumad]

18. Vein, arteries, who gives a shit

Odd question...then ask the fucking repukes why they are diminishing Kerry's shrapnel wounds....

[Juansmith]

20. It is ridiculous, but...

It seems only fair that Kerry's medical records be released when he insisted that Bush's records from his "service" in Alabama be released.

Just trying to be fair here.

[trumad]

21. So Kerry insisted that Bush release his records?

Oh really... got a link?... and guess what... Bush was Awol, Kerry wasn't....

[onecitizen]

19. Buh-bye

~

[leanings]

22. Shrapnel

can tear you in half or give you a minor scratch, depending on its size and velocity and where it hits you. But it can certainly kill you. I think that historically something like 65% of combat deaths have been from artillery fire.

[Solly Mack]

23. Yes

it can. Period.

[Catherine Vincent]

24. Last post of the night....

You are a smart poster, Trumad. I hear ya.

[leesa]

25. Of course it can. Depend on how and where it hits. You can be killed

by falling on a table or chair.

[Ilsa]

26. Very Good Advice: AVOID HEAD TRAUMA!!!

It doesn't take much going snafu in your head to kill you or incapacitate you.