[Melandru]

After removing the bullets from a gunshot wound in the OR, .... to whom will I will give it?

to my head nurse or the pathology department?

[BinkieRN]

Originally Posted by Melandru

After removing the bullets from a gunshot wound in the OR, .... to whom will I will give it?

to my head nurse or the pathology department?

I would think there is a protocol for such things.

We are nurses not detectives, police officers or lawyers.

[RNOTODAY]

This is a facility specific policy. Where I work, it needs to go directly to pathology from the OR.

[shodobe]

Depends on the circumstances. Back when we did a lot of gunshot trauma the bullet usually went to a police officer who sat outside the OR to complete the chain of custody. We have specific policies when it comes to transfer of bullets. Why send something like this to pathology? We all know what a bullet looks like and it doesn't take a pathologist to enlighten us. He looks at it, announces it as a bullet, charges $200. I would do it for $100!

[Smithbc1]

The bullets should go to pathology so they can do their verification and documentation. Then pathology would send it to the police department.

[aeauooo]

My first thought was, "bullet fragments are never removed in the OR!" but then I realized y'all were talking about gunshot woulnds to parts of the body other than the head.

Too many years in neurotrauma.

[traumaRUs]

There should be a protocol in place in your hospital.

[WitchyRN]

My hospital has us fill out these forms, we are to keep the bullet in our possesion until the case is finished. We then call security who brings an officer with them.We have them sign the form and we release the bullet to their custody. We don't send it to pathology-that is reserved for body tissue etc. Although, I've seen docs in the past want us to send foreign objects that we've removed from patient's behinds to pathology, but this isn't policy, it's the docs misguided attempts at humor!

[WitchyRN]

Originally Posted by shodobe

Depends on the circumstances. Back when we did a lot of gunshot trauma the bullet usually went to a police officer who sat outside the OR to complete the chain of custody. We have specific policies when it comes to transfer of bullets. Why send something like this to pathology? We all know what a bullet looks like and it doesn't take a pathologist to enlighten us. He looks at it, announces it as a bullet, charges $200. I would do it for $100!

I know, the path department in my hospital has a pretty good racket going. We have to send all bone from our total joints, I'm pretty much sure just so they can line their pockets. This policy keeps changing too, first we had to send them, then we didn't have to, now we're back to doing it again.

[TazziRN]

Bullets go to the police officer who will be waiting for it in our area. Never to path. Always to the police. The mentality here is "What do you want to send it to path for, so we can tell you it's a bullet?"

I once sent a GSW to the OR and the nurse came out with the bullet in a container. She wanted nothing to do with it and the detective wasn't there yet, so she gave it to me and I took custody of it. I have seen bullets removed from bodies in the ER and the police are right there........once I held the container for the doc to drop it into and the cop almost took it out of my hand before I had the lid on.