TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1989//
TI  - The injury potential and lethality of stab wounds: a Folsom Prison Study
JO  - Journal of trauma
A1  - Bodai, B. I.
A1  - Jordan, R. G.
A1  - Blaisdell, F. W.
A1  - Walton, C. B.
SP  - 99
EP  - 101
VL  - 29
IS  - 1
N2  - The morbidity and mortality of stab wounds is unknown since much of the data is unobtainable. Folsom Prison, a closed system with respect to population at risk and medical care, represents a unique situation where all stab wounds and subsequent care are accounted for. A retrospective review of stabbing incidents at Folsom Prison identified 751 wounds in 270 prisoners. Overall mortality was 3%. Thirty-five per cent of the victims were hospitalized. The overall chance of serious injury, defined as an assault victim requiring more than cleansing and suturing of his wounds, was 25%. The most common procedures were tube thoracostomy (performed 36 times) and celiotomy (performed 31 times). We believe that this is the first study of its kind involving a closed population to accurately assess the overall morbidity and mortality of stab wounds. The 3% mortality and the 25% requiring a procedure beyond suturing reflects the low injury potential long clinically suspected in stab wounds.
LA  - 
SN  - 0022-5282
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -