QUESTION: A police officer who was shot and has a retained bullet in his chest was evaluated. His physician has advised him that it would be best not to remove the bullet. He is asymptomatic and has a nearly undetectable scar and normal pulmonary function test results. He has no pain and does not have any behavioral or psychological issues. How should this be rated?
ANSWER: The bullet retained in the body does not lead to any measurable impairment. In the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, section 1.3d, “Operational Definitions: Impairment, Disability, Handicap,” impairment is defined as “a significant deviation, loss, or loss of use of any body structure or function in an individual with a health condition, disorder, or disease.” In this patient, the only observable variation is the...
