Open AccessSelf‐inflicted injuries are an important cause of penetrating traumatic injuries in Japan
Author(s) -
Izawa Yoshimitsu,
Suzukawa Masayuki,
Lefor Alan K.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acute medicine and surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2052-8817
DOI - 10.1002/ams2.186
Subject(s) - medicine , penetrating trauma , injury prevention , surgery , intervention (counseling) , penetrating wounds , poison control , abdomen , trauma center , occupational safety and health , mortality rate , gunshot injury , emergency medicine , retrospective cohort study , blunt , nursing , pathology
Aim Japan has a low crime rate, but a high suicide rate. The aim of this study is to review the causes of penetrating traumatic injuries in a tertiary care emergency center in Japan. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all admissions for traumatic injuries over a 3‐year period, and calculated the proportion of patients with penetrating traumatic injuries. Weapon used, age, gender, Injury Severity Score, cause of injury, and site of injury in all patients with penetrating injuries were reviewed. The proportion of patients with penetrating injuries among patients with all types of traumatic injuries requiring surgical intervention was calculated. Results Of 1,321 patients admitted over 3 years, 65 patients (5%) suffered from penetrating injuries. Most were stab wounds, with only one gunshot (2%). The most common site of injury was an extremity (48%). The most common cause of penetrating injury was self‐inflicted (38%). The abdomen is the most common site injured among self‐inflicted injuries. Of patients with all types of traumatic injuries requiring surgical intervention, penetrating injuries accounted for 23%. Conclusion Penetrating injuries represent 23% of all patients with traumatic injuries who required surgical intervention. Self‐inflicted penetrating injuries were most common, supporting the need for preventive services. Acute care surgeons must be familiar with the surgical management of penetrating traumatic injuries, even in a country with a low crime rate.