1) Analyze trends in gunshot wounds, particularly the association between gunshot wounds and race, among victims presenting to a Level I Trauma Center in Middle Tennessee; 2) Compare specific characteristics of gunshot victims to the general Emergency Department (ED) population.
This is a retrospective cohort study of 343,866 ED visits from 2004 to?2009.
Compared to the general ED population, gunshot victims were more predominantly male (87.5 % vs. 43.4 % ), black (57.6 % vs. 29.5 % ), younger (47.8 % under age 25 years vs. 31.6 % ), and demonstrated higher Medicaid enrollment (78.6 % vs. 44.7 % ). The majority of black gunshot victims were aged 18-25 years (47.1 % ) and victims of assault (65.9 % ). Non-black gunshot victims suffered more unintentional (40.2 % vs. 28.2 % ) and self-inflicted (9.1 % vs. 0.4 % ) injuries and were more evenly distributed among ages 18-55 years. Black patients were 3.03 (95 % confidence interval 2.93-3.14) times more likely to present to this ED for gunshot wounds than non-black patients, after controlling for age, sex, and insurance status (p?<?0.001).
Our study demonstrates that black patients between 18 and 25 years of age presenting to this trauma center are more likely to be victims of gun violence than their non-black counterparts. Our study evaluates trends in gun violence in the Southeast, particularly in relation to race, age, and insurance status.