Epidemiology and Outcome of Penetrating Injuries in a Western European Urban Region
Overview
Emergency Medicine
Affiliations
Purpose: Severe life-threatening injuries in Western Europe are mostly caused by blunt trauma. However, penetrating trauma might be more common in urban regions, but their characteristics have not been fully elucidated.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of data from patients admitted to our urban university level I trauma center between 2008 and 2013 with suspicion of severe multiple injuries. Collection of data was performed prospectively using a PC-supported online documentation program including epidemiological, clinical and outcome parameters.
Results: Out of 2095 trauma room patients admitted over the 6-year time period 194 (9.3 %) suffered from penetrating trauma. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 12.3 ± 14.1 points. In 62.4 % (n = 121) the penetrating injuries were caused by interpersonal violence or attempted suicide, 98 of these by stabbing and 23 by firearms. We observed a widespread injury pattern where mainly head, thorax and abdomen were afflicted. Subgroup analysis for self-inflicted injuries showed higher ISS (19.8 ± 21.8 points) than for blunt trauma (15.5 ± 14.6 points). In 82.5 % of all penetrating trauma a surgical treatment was performed, 43.8 % of the patients received intensive care unit treatment with mean duration of 7.4 ± 9.3 days. Immediate emergency surgical treatment had to be performed in 8.0 vs. 2.3 % in blunt trauma (p < 0.001). Infectious complications of the penetrating wounds were observed in 7.8 %.
Conclusions: Specific characteristics of penetrating trauma in urban regions can be identified. Compared to nationwide data, penetrating trauma was more frequent in our collective (9.3 vs. 5.0 %), which may be due to higher crime rates in urban areas. Especially, self-inflicted penetrating trauma often results in most severe injuries.
Rukewe A, Alonge T, Akande A, Fatiregun A Pan Afr Med J. 2024; 49():27.
PMID: 39720396 PMC: 11667080. DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.49.27.45070.
Kim Y, Yu B, Jeon S, Lee S, Cho J, Gwak J J Trauma Inj. 2024; 36(3):224-230.
PMID: 39381703 PMC: 11309264. DOI: 10.20408/jti.2022.0055.
Patterns and outcomes of patients with abdominal injury: a multicenter study from Iran.
Mirzamohamadi S, HajiAbbasi M, Baigi V, Salamati P, Rahimi-Movaghar V, Zafarghandi M BMC Emerg Med. 2024; 24(1):91.
PMID: 38816710 PMC: 11141001. DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-01002-0.
Schurmann J, Michael M, Picker O, Bieler D, Heitkotter K, Tremmel T Anaesthesiologie. 2024; 73(7):444-453.
PMID: 38777920 PMC: 11222214. DOI: 10.1007/s00101-024-01420-6.
Are trauma victims with obesity lucky in penetrating trauma injuries?.
Vartanoglu Aktokmakyan T, Gullu H, Yavuz E Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2024; 30(1):50-59.
PMID: 38226573 PMC: 10977477. DOI: 10.14744/tjtes.2023.26852.