Citation

Shaked G, Yitzhak A, Abramovich A, Sebbag G, Peleg K, Davidson E, Czeiger D. J. Immigr. Minor. Health 2016; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, 64 Wingate Street, Beer Sheva, Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10903-016-0447-6

PMID

27318937

Abstract

This article describes the characteristics of injuries of illegal immigrants admitted to a Level I trauma center after being shot at the southern border of Israel. This is a retrospective descriptive study. Some of the variables were compared to a group of soldiers who sustained penetrating injury at the same region where the illegal migrant were injured. The study includes 162 patients. The lower body absorbed a higher percentage of the injuries (61 %). The hospitalization time is longer for the migrant patients compared to the soldiers (13 ± 2 vs. 3 ± 0.3 days p = 0.0001). This study on wounded immigrants shows that a conjoint military and civilian system can result in favourable outcomes. The manuscript is an attempt to bring this unique situation, its type of injuries, and the difficulties of the health system in coping with it, to the notice of all authorities that may address a similar challenge.

Language: en