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Citation
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Krzyzaniak A, Carroll AN, Rooney AS, Calvo RY, Bansal V, Sise MJ. Am. Surg. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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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.
Language: en |