TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Impact of implementation of a new weapons screening at an urban emergency department
JO  - Journal of emergency medicine
A1  - Vilke, Gary M.
A1  - Billberry, Elizabeth
A1  - Bongbong, Dale N.
A1  - Castillo, Edward M.
A1  - Brennan, Jesse
A1  - Chan, Theodore C.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Violence in the emergency department (ED) setting is well documented in medical literature. Weapons can be used to cause significant injury or mortality, although there is a paucity of literature on weapons and weapons screening in the ED. <br><br>OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of initiating a weapons screening process on the identification and removal of weapons. <br><br>METHODS: Multiple aspects of a weapons screening program were evaluated at 2 and 6 months prior to and after a weapons screening protocol was initiated at an urban ED. In the Pre-Screen periods, only patients primarily seeking care for mental health were screened prior to entry. In the Post-Screen periods, all patients and visitors were screened with walk-through magnetometers or wand metal detectors, and additional screening checks were initiated. The number of individuals screened and numbers of weapons found were measured. Descriptive statistics comparing Pre- and Post-Screen periods were performed. <br><br>RESULTS: Prior to the new screening process, 511 and 1701 patients primarily seeking care for mental health were screened, with 15 and 103 weapons confiscated at 2 and 6 months, respectively. After the screening process was initiated, 13,149 and 43,321 ED patients and visitors were screened, with 194 and 567 weapons confiscated at 2 and 6 months, respectively. Persons screened increased by 25-fold at both 2 and 6 months after implementing the screening process. Weapons confiscated increased approximately 13-fold and sixfold at the respective 2- and 6-month Pre- and Post-Screen periods, respectively. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Implementation of weapons screening significantly increased the number of weapons identified and confiscated prior to entry in the ED by patients and visitors.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0736-4679
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2023.08.010
ID  - ref1
ER  -