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Body armor/ bullet resistant vests used by law enforcement are designed to stop penetration by handgun rounds. These rounds have less velocity than rifle rounds. When caring for someone who has been shot while wearing body armor, verify no penetration has occurred and then look for blunt injuries such as rib fractures, liver injuries, pneumothorax, cardiac contusion, vertebral injury, etc. Behind Armor Blunt Trauma (BABT) is the technical term for injuries caused by the transfer of kinetic energy that occurs when these vests are struck.
References
Injury
Volume 49, Issue 7, July 2018, Pages 1251-1257
A preliminary study into injuries due to non-perforating ballistic impacts into soft body armour over the spine
Author links open overlay panelRosalind M. Jennings a, Chris Malbon b, Fiona Brock a, Stuart Harrisson c, Debra J. Carr b