@article{ref1,
title="A prospective US national trauma center study of firearm injury survivors weapon carriage and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms",
journal="Annals of surgery",
year="2021",
author="Nehra, Deepika and Bulger, Eileen M. and Maier, Ronald V. and Moloney, Kathleen E. and Russo, Joan and Wang, Jin and Anderson, Kristina and Zatzick, Douglas F.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic, injury-related and mental health characteristics of firearm injury patients and trace firearm weapon carriage and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms over the year following injury. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND DATA: Based on the increasing incidence of firearm injury and need for novel injury prevention strategies, hospital-based violence intervention programs are being implemented in US trauma centers. There is limited data on the long-term outcomes and risk behaviors of firearm injury survivors to guide this work. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a pragmatic 25-trauma center randomized trial (N = 635). Baseline characteristics of firearm-injured patients (N = 128) were compared with other trauma patients. Mixed model regression was used to identify risk factors for post-injury firearm weapon carriage and PTSD symptoms. <br><br>RESULTS: Firearm injury patients were younger and more likely to be black, male and of lower socioeconomic status and more likely to carry a firearm in the year prior to injury. Relative to pre-injury, there was a significant drop in firearm weapon carriage at 3- and 6-months post-injury, followed by a return to pre-injury levels at 12-months. Firearm injury was significantly and independently associated with an increased risk of post-injury firearm weapon carriage (Relative Risk = 2.08,95% CI[1.34, 3.22],p < 0.01) and higher PTSD symptom levels (Beta = 3.82,95% CI[1.29, 6.35],p < 0.01). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Firearm injury survivors are at risk for firearm carriage and high PTSD symptom levels post-injury. The significant decrease in the high-risk behavior of firearm weapon carriage at 3-6 months post-injury suggests that there is an important post-injury &quot;teachable moment&quot; that should be targeted with preventive interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02655354.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0003-4932",
doi="10.1097/SLA.0000000000005043",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000005043"
}