Penetrating craniocerebral injury caused by a pneumatic nail gun: an unsuccessful attempt of suicide

Nail guns are powerful tools commonly used in the building industry. As a result of their improper use, many accidents of bodily injury, including death, have already been reported over the last 50 years; their use in suicide attempts, however, is rare. In this paper, an unusual case of unsuccessful suicidal craniocerebral penetrating injury committed with a pneumatic nail gun by a 23-year-old man is presented. The particular findings that suggest a suicidal attempt are also discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved