Emergency Medicine: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Profile and Outcome of Violence Related Injuries of Patients during Civilian Unrest in a Conflict zone

Syed Amin Tabish, Rauf A Wani, Mushtaq Ahmad, Natasha Thakur, Yatoo GH and Shadab Nabi Wani

Background: Violence is an intrinsic phenomenon to a class based society which is inherently unequal and oppressive. In the episodes of contemporary violence civilians witness events such as shooting, killing or physical assault and get inadvertently entrapped.
Methods: In a hospital based study, during 2010, the hospital received 630 violence related civilian patients of which 393 were admitted.
Results: Of the 393 patients admitted 157 (39.94%) had head injuries, 131 (33.33%) limb injuries, 28 (7.12%) chest injuries and 24 (6.10%) abdominal injuries. Forty-three (10.94%) patients had multisystem injuries. Most of the patients had history of physical assault. Of all the injured admitted 159 (40.4%) were having major injuries of which 59 (37.10%) comprised head injuries, 24 (15.09%) chest trauma, 17 (10.69%) abdominal trauma and 51 (32.07%) limb injuries. Of the 393 patients admitted, 324 (82.44%) recovered fully, 10 (2.54%) were disabled, 22 (5.59%) were referred to other hospitals and 28 patients (7.12%) expired. Most of the injured were in the age group 13-24 years.
Conclusion: The study was done as part of critical care audit towards capacity building exercise for establishment of comprehensive healthcare delivery infrastructure. Social, economic and public health aspects of violence are discussed in detail.