My current project revolves around a hate crime, and a kid gets caught up in the drive by. I've done two months of research on gunshot wounds, but I haven't found any books or articles specifically concerning the effect on a child's body. I figured I'd ask around on these types of forums before just taking what I have so far and working with it, haha. I have three basic questions I need answered, so if you guys can help a new member out, I'd really appreciate it! Would that kind of physical trauma cause any other complications or concerns in a child's body rather than an adult's? Do extra precautions need to be taken in that scenario? Can children go through the normal anesthesia for surgery? Would the recovery time be longer or shorter for a kid? Thank you in advance!
Kids heal faster because they have growth hormone in their systems. Kids experience more damage from gunshots because their bodies are smaller.
Yep. What GingerCoffee said. Also, as with any other type of surgery, children, being smaller people, generally are given a lower dose of anesthetic than an adult - as a smaller adult would also receive a lighter dose. That's why there is an anesthesiologist in the OR. He or she not only controls what and how much anesthetic to administer but they also monitor the patient before, during, and after surgery. It is critical to monitor the patient during surgery because sometimes people have different resistance or susceptibility to various medications, anesthetics included.
And then there are the psychological repercussions. You mention a drive-by so perhaps the intended targets, being, I presume, over the age of 18 and perhaps expecting to be shot, would mentally recover and get back out there for revenge whereas a child might not have the understanding of why it happened and could therefore be mentally scarred for life. Obviously, there would also be the reactions of the innocents child's parents to consider too.
