Citation

Hink AB, Bonne SL, Levy M, Kuhls DA, Allee L, Burke PA, Sakran J, Bulger EM, Stewart RM. J. Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burn & Critical Care Surgery, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children, Department of Surgery, Orlando Health Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine Department of Surgery, Acute Care and Trauma Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine Department of Surgery, Acute Care and Trauma Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burn & Critical Care Surgery, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma & Emergency Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/TA.0000000000002330

PMID

31033891

Abstract

Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors for any disease is the fundamental basis for which we can then create a public health approach to address it. This includes firearm injuries, which claim the lives of nearly 40,000 a year in the U.S. Despite the fact that firearm injury is one of the leading causes of death among young people and has the highest fatality rate for injuries treated in trauma centers, research dedicated to the causes and prevention of firearm injury is disproportionately minimal compared to other causes of injury and death. This review provides an overview of the existing sources of firearm injury data and their limitations to quantify and characterize non-fatal firearm injuries, and to describe the burden of firearm injuries on patients and society. These data are imperative to informing prevention and intervention efforts and the ability to evaluate them. We describe how trauma centers are in opportune positions to improve the surveillance and characterization of risks and circumstances contributing to firearm injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not-applicable, review.

Language: en