Markers for Domestic Violence in Women

Overview

Journal J Accid Emerg Med

Publisher BMJ Publishing Group

Specialty Emergency Medicine

Date 1999 Nov 26

PMID 10572809

Citations 9

Authors

R L Spedding

M McWilliams

B P McNicholl

C H Dearden

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To determine injury patterns and characteristics specific to domestic violence in women who present to the accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Design: A retrospective case note review of all female assaults over a one year period. The subjects were women who disclosed that their injuries were due to assaults by either a current or a previous male partner. Controls were female assault victims not injured by domestic violence.

Setting: A medium sized urban A&E department.

Results: There were 500 female assaults out of 48,169 new attendances. Domestic violence was disclosed in 103 cases. The following features were significantly associated with domestic violence in women: multiple injuries (p < 0.001) (especially to the head and arms), fractures (p < 0.05), loss of consciousness (p < 0.05), abdominal injuries (p < 0.05), pregnancy (p = 0.01), injury occurring on "stairs" (p = 0.01), and general practitioner referral (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Women who have been assaulted are more likely to have been injured during domestic violence if they sustain multiple injuries (including fractures), abdominal injuries, have lost consciousness, or have been referred by their general practitioner. These markers may help medical staff to identify more cases of undisclosed domestic violence. The markers need to be tested further in a prospective study.

Citing Articles

DORIS study: domestic violence in orthopaedics, a prospective cohort study at a Swedish hospital on the annual prevalence of domestic violence in orthopaedic emergency care.

Svensson Malchau K, Caragounis E, Sundfeldt M BMJ Open. 2024; 14(5):e085618.

PMID: 38719290 PMC: 11086206. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085618.

Imaging patterns of thoracic injuries in survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Gosangi B, Wong A, Gujrathi R, Park H, Thomas R, Lewis-OConnor A Emerg Radiol. 2022; 30(1):71-84.

PMID: 36418488 PMC: 9684831. DOI: 10.1007/s10140-022-02097-3.

A 10-year retrospective analysis of intimate partner violence patients in the emergency department.

Kavak N, Kavak R, Ozdemir M, Sever M, Ertan N, Suner A Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022; 28(6):796-804.

PMID: 35652880 PMC: 10443018. DOI: 10.14744/tjtes.2021.90453.

Rectus Sheath Hematoma Secondary to Domestic Violence.

Samadov E, Ibrahimli A, Mamishov S Cureus. 2021; 13(8):e17058.

PMID: 34522536 PMC: 8428324. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17058.

Intimate Partner Violence-Related Fractures in the United States: An 8 Year Review.

Porter A, Montgomery C, Montgomery B, Eastin C, Boyette J, Snead G J Fam Violence. 2020; 34(7):601-609.

PMID: 32595265 PMC: 7318917. DOI: 10.1007/s10896-018-0007-z.

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