Key Series of Events Helped Giffords Survive Gunshot Wound to the Head
People rarely survive gunshot wounds to the head, but so far Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot point black in the back of her head on Saturday, has held on. Monday morning, her doctors indicated they were "slightly more optimistic" about her prognosis. In the wake of this brutal tragedy, it is worth recognizing the series of highly fortunate events that led to Giffords’ continued survival.The most important predictors for how well a victim will recover from a gunshot wound to the head are the type of bullet and its travel path once inside the brain, and Giffords was fortunate on both counts, says Dr. Keith L. Black, chairman and professor of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The bullet, reportedly fired from a nine millimeter semi-automatic handgun, entered the left side of the back of her head and traveled through her brain, exiting through...