View source for Harbor: Bullet Removal Guidelines

==General Considerations==
* The bullet may be used as evidence in an active investigation, so it is important to: 
** Document chain of custody
** Minimize any damage to the bullet when removing it 


==During Removal==
* Try to avoid having metal tools directly contact the bullet (this can mark the bullet and may make investigation by a firearms expert more challenging)
* If possible, bluntly dissect around the bullet and remove with your gloved hand
** If you are unable to do so (doing so may cause too much new trauma, result in a large incision, etc), you can put gauze between the bullet and your metal tool to minimize marking the bullet


==What To Do with the Bullet==
* Place a request pathology order
* Get evidence envelopes from the OR front desk (there is a small one and a large one) 
* Place bullet in small envelope, seal it, and then place this in the large envelope 
* The large envelope has the chain of custody signature lines, fill these out as applicable
* Have someone walk envelope to pathology
* Notify Sheriff Liaison that you have removed a bullet from a patient and to ask them to help notify the appropriate agency (the one with jurisdiction where the investigation will take place) 
** Of note, the appropriate agency may already be present if they arrived with the patient to the trauma bay
** In cases where the bullet has been in the patient for months or years, the Sheriff Liaison will need to talk with the patient to determine which is the applicable agency 


[[Category:Harbor Policy]]