Children with Firearm Injuries at Risk for Repeat Violent Injuries and Death

Children treated for firearm injuries are at high risk for repeat firearm injuries and death, according to a follow-up study of 515 children treated for firearm injuries between 1990 and 1995 at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. The researchers also found that firearm injuries are a strong predictor of other types of serious injury, violent or otherwise.

"The rate of repeat violent injury and death for pediatric firearm injury victims calls for emergency medical services to develop systems to address both their medical and psychosocial needs at the time of the initial firearm injury," says Marlene Melzer-Lange, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Five hundred and fifteen Milwaukee area children suffered firearm injuries between 1990 and 1995, 18 of which were fatal. The research team searched the records of all area hospitals and the Milwaukee County Coroner's Office, through 1997, for prior and subsequent injury-related visits or deaths among these patients.

They found that 34 of the survivors had subsequent firearm injuries, five of which were fatal. In addition to subsequent firearm injuries, the survivors had 168 emergency visits for other subsequent injuries, 59 of which were determined intentional, or violent. These included 8 stabbings and 22 physical assaults. Many of the original 515 firearm injury survivors had also had prior emergency visits for injuries. These included 15 firearm injuries, 29 assault injuries, four stabbings, 36 motor vehicle injuries and 19 head injuries.

MCW Health News presents up-to-date information on patient care and medical research by the physicians of the Medical College of Wisconsin.