Is it possible for a bullet to reside in the body and the person is still be able to live fine?
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Is it possible for a bullet to reside in the body and the person is still be able to live fine?
It is not important to remove a bullet that is deeply embedded at all. In fact trying to do so can cause further trauma and/or death. Hollywood is amazing at coming up with completely ridiculous ideas. Removing a bullet is one of those ridiculous ideas. One of the top causes for loss of life in preventable death situations is hemorrhaging. Stop the bleeding and everything else, including infection, can be handled later. The top priority for a gunshot wound, or any embedded object is stopping the bleeding.
Yes it is possible, provided it is not interfering with any body functions, a bullet can be left in the body indefinitely, unless it is contact with acid such as stomach acid or synovial fluid. These acidic substances can dissolve the lead bullet and it will then be absorbed into the bloodstream and could cause lead poisoning. If a bullet is causing pain or impinging on a nerve or major blood vessel, there may be indication to remove it. However in many cases there is no medical need to remove a bullet, particularly a shotgun pellet or fragment of a bullet, and it causes more damage to remove it than to leave it alone. The notion that leaving a bullet in the body will result in lead poisoning is almost invariably wrong.