Pattern of injuries due to interpersonal violence
Introduction
Most studies on violence-related injuries tend to over represent victims admitted to large scale trauma centres, and to over represent complicated and severe injuries. Few studies have dealt with “small-scale” injuries, their injury patterns and the injury mechanisms. The Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments and the Departments of Forensic Medicine are valuable sources, when information on non-lethal assault injuries is desired1, 2, 3, 4.
The pattern of assault injuries may differ between countries and communities due to cultural and social factors and tradition. A prospective study of all assault victims attending the A&E departments or the Department of Forensic Medicine in a well defined Danish urban community has been carried out.
The specific aim of this study was to identify characteristics of violence related injuries, its anatomical distribution and the mechanisms, in order to find a valuable tool in the emergency room. The tool would be useful not only when examining alleged assault victims, but also when planning preventive actions.
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Materials and methods
During a one-year period from August 1993 to July 1994, 1481 assault victims attended the A&E Department or Department of Forensic Medicine in Aarhus. The departments serve an urban population of 310.000. All victims were interviewed and examined by the physician on duty and an extensive questionnaire including personal data, details about the violence and the injury mechanisms was filled out. The severity of all injuries was scored with the Abbreviated Injury Scale 1990 and the Injury Severity
Results
The total number of assault patients who attended the A&E departments or the Department of Forensic Medicine during the one year period was 1481, 1156 men and 325 women. A total of 2432 injuries were examined, 811 (55%) victims had one injury, 389 (26%) victims had 2 injuries and 281 (19%) victims had at least 3 injuries.
Discussion
There is a difference between violence against males and females. In this study we have shown significant differences in the type of injuries, their localization and the way in which the lesions occurred.
Characteristically for both sexes were the fact that the violence frequently resulted in injuries which hit the head and face.
The fact that violence more often result in face lesions, is described in other studies accordingly. Thus Payne-James and Dean find that 51% of persons with violence
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