@article{ref1,
title="Long-term physical and mental health outcomes of pediatric firearm-injured victims: a prospective cohort study",
journal="Journal of trauma and acute care surgery",
year="2023",
author="Haasz, Maya and Dulchavsky, Alexandria and Stevens, Jenny and Nolan, Margo and Leonard, Jan and Phillips, Ryan and Knoepke, Christopher and Schroeppel, Thomas and Zuk, Jeannie and Abbey, William and Ambroggio, Lilliam",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Firearms are a leading cause of injury among US youth. There is little research describing outcomes after pediatric firearm injuries, particularly past one year. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: Assess long-term physical and mental health outcomes among non-fatal firearm versus motor vehicle collision (MVC) injured victims and versus a standard population. <br><br>METHODS: We retrospectively identified firearm and MVC-injured pediatric patients seen at one of our four trauma centers (01/2008-10/2020), and prospectively assessed outcomes using validated patient reported outcome measures. Eligible patients were English-speaking, injured ≥5 months prior to study start, <18-years-old at time of injury and ≥ 8-years-old at study start. All firearm patients were included; MVC patients were matched 1:1 with FA patients for injury severity score (ISS) (dichotomized < or ≥ 15), age range (+/- 1 year), and year of injury. We conducted structured interviews of patients and parents using validated tools (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System tools (PROMIS), Children's Impact of Event Scale for <18 and parent-proxies). PROMIS scores are reported on a T-score metric (mean = 50; SD = 10); higher scores indicate more of the measured domain. We used paired T-tests, Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests, and McNemar's test to compare demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. <br><br>RESULTS: There were 24 participants in each of the MVC and firearm injured groups. Compared to MVC-injured patients, firearm-injured patients <18-years-old had similar scores, and firearm-injured patients ≥18-years-old had higher anxiety scores (59.4 (8.3) vs 51.2 (9.4)). Compared to a standard population, patients <18-years-old had worse global health scores (mean:43.4 (SD:9.7)) and participants ≥18-years-old reported increased fatigue (61.1 (3.3)) and anxiety (59.4 (SD:8.3)). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Long term effects of firearm-injured patients were poorer than matched MVC and the standard population in few domains. Further study in a larger, prospectively recruited cohort is warranted to better characterize physical and mental health outcomes. STUDY TYPE: Brief Report. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2163-0755",
doi="10.1097/TA.0000000000004090",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/TA.0000000000004090"
}