Citation

Hershkovitz Y, Ashkenazi I, Kalman I, Peleg K, Bodas M, Givon A, Shapira Z, Jeroukhimov I. Injury 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.injury.2020.11.072

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Self-inflicted injury is a leading cause of death worldwide. It is hypothesized that due to instincts for self-preservation, the severity of abdominal injury would be decreased following suicidal self-stabbing in comparison to stab wounds from assault, and therefore a more conservative management might be considered.

METHODS: All patients with isolated abdominal stab wound (SW) admitted to 19 Trauma Centers in Israel between the years 1997 and 2018 were included in the study. Patients with self-inflicted abdominal SW (Group I) were compared to victims with abdominal SW following assault (Group II).

RESULTS: Group I included 9.4% (314/3324) of patients eligible for this study. Compared to Group II, Group I patients were older (median: 39 years, IQR 28,52 vs. 24 years, IQR 19,33; p<0.001), had more females (28.7% vs 4.9%, p <0.001), had longer length of hospitalization (median: 3 days vs. 2 days; p<0.001), underwent surgery more frequently (55.4% vs. 37.4%; p<0.001), and had higher mortality (2.9% vs. 0.7%; p=0.003). Possible covariates for mortality were examined and following logistic regression, self-inflicted injury remained associated with higher death rates compared to assault (OR 4.027, CI95% 1.380, 11.749; p=0.011).

CONCLUSION: In this study, patients with isolated self-inflicted abdominal injuries had higher mortality and more frequently underwent abdominal surgery.

Language: en

Keywords

Laparotomy; Penetrating abdominal trauma; Self inflicted injury