Firearm Assaults in Communities: The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown.
Am Surg
; 89(10): 4200-4207, 2023 Oct.
Article
de En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37385970
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Firearm violence has increased nationwide, with recent surges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. We measured traumatic assault trends at our urban Level I trauma center and assessed rates of firearm violence over time and pre/post local COVID-19 lockdown based on levels of socioeconomic disadvantage.METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective review (2016-2022) of assault patients 16 years and older. Demographics and hospital outcomes were assessed by assault mechanism (firearm, knife, blunt). Patient address was correlated to Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a measure of socioeconomic disadvantage. COVID-19 lockdown onset was defined as initial date of lockdown (3/19/2020). Trend and time-series analyses compared all assault mechanisms and firearm-specific assaults pre/post-lockdown. Poisson regression assessed firearm assault risk.RESULTS:
Of the 1583 total assaults, firearm patients (n = 335) were younger (median 29 years), had longer hospital stays (median 2 days), and greater mortality (12%) than other mechanisms. The 2 years post-lockdown had significantly more firearm assaults (27% vs 15% pre-lockdown, P < .001) and time-series analysis found this abrupt and significant increase in firearm assaults occurred at lockdown onset (P = .01). Also post-lockdown, the rate of firearm assaults increased by 10% for every unit increase in socioeconomic deprivation (P < .01). There was no change in assault type by race/ethnicity.DISCUSSION:
Firearm assaults increased dramatically immediately post-COVID lockdown at our center and have maintained higher rates through 2022. Greater ADI was associated with increasing firearm assaults and has magnified post-lockdown, demonstrating lower socioeconomic groups are disproportionately and increasingly affected by firearm violence.Mots clés
Texte intégral:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Base de données:
MEDLINE
Sujet principal:
Plaies par arme à feu
/
Armes à feu
/
COVID-19
Aspects:
Equity_inequality
Limites:
Humans
Langue:
En
Journal:
Am Surg
Année:
2023
Type de document:
Article
Pays d'affiliation:
États-Unis d'Amérique
Pays de publication:
EEUU
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
/
EUA
/
UNITED STATES
/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
/
US
/
USA