TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - The scourge of knife crime: trends in knife-related assault managed at a major centre in South Africa
JO  - South African journal of surgery
A1  - Uchino, H.
A1  - Kong, V. Y.
A1  - Pantelides, A.
A1  - Anderson, J.
A1  - O'Neill, H.
A1  - Bruce, J. L.
A1  - Laing, G. L.
A1  - Clarke, D. L.
SP  - 150
EP  - 153
VL  - 58
IS  - 3
N2  - BACKGROUND: Knife wounds are common and represent a major burden to the South African healthcare system. This study reviews trends in spectrum, management and outcome of these injuries at a single trauma centre in KwaZulu-Natal(KZN).     METHOD: The regional hybrid electronic registry (HEMR) was reviewed for the period January 2013 - December 2018, and all patients who suffered a knife-related assault were identified and reviewed.     RESULTS: During the period under review, a total of 2117 patients suffered a knife-related assault. Regions injured were as follows: head 445, neck 572, face 258, chest 939, abdomen 649, pelvic/urogenital 49, upper limb 418, and lower limb 105. The median ISS was 9 (4-10). Imaging comprised 1242 chest X-rays, 315 abdominal X-rays, 162 abdominal ultrasounds/ FAST, and 929 CT scans of which 634 were CT angiograms. A total of 783 (37%) patients required an operation. The rate of laparotomy was 447/649 (69%) and of thoracotomy/sternotomy/thoracoscopy 95/939 (10%). The rate of vascular exploration for upper and lower limb vascular injury was 101/523 (19%). Mortality was 49/2117 (2.3%)..     CONCLUSION: Although our clinical outcomes over this period appear to be consistent, suggesting a familiarity with managing knife-related trauma, the persistently high rate of knife-related injury suggests that we have failed to develop a preventative strategy to try and reduce this scourge.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0038-2361
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -