Gun violence is the second the leading cause of mortality in pediatric trauma, with only motor vehicle collisions responsible for more pediatric deaths. Despite increasing rates of vehicle miles traveled each year, increased safety efforts have substantially decreased deaths attributable to motor vehicle accidents. In contrast, the number of pediatric firearm injuries has continued to increase. In 2019, firearms resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 infants and children, alongside thousands more surviving with devastating and serious life-altering injuries. These injuries continue to be a very worrisome public health issue because they are more fatal than any other injury presenting to trauma centers. Pediatric firearm deaths are tragedies that should certainly be preventable, although effective solutions remain elusive. Contributing to the failure to decrease firearm-related mortality are fundamental gaps in existing information, which prevent an accurate description of this problem ...
Language: en
", language="en", issn="0039-6060", doi="10.1016/j.surg.2020.02.023", url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2020.02.023" }