741 - Firearm Injuries During COVID-19 Pandemic:Does a Single Center Trend Mimic National Trend?
Monday, May 1, 2023
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET
Poster Number: 741 Publication Number: 741.414
Dayanand Bagdure, Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States; Michael T. Nolan, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States; Elizabeth Tucker, LSU Health Shreveport, Haughton, LA, United States; Aditya Thete, Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India; Cortney Foster, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
Associate Professor of Pediatrics Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected certain populations disproportionally. We have also seen changes in the epidemiological patterns for other viral infections and injuries in children during the pandemic. In United States we have seen an increase in firearm injuries in children during the pandemic. Objective: Evaluate single center experience in pediatric firearm injuries during the COVID 19 pandemic. Design/Methods: We analyzed data from a single Level II trauma center for all children younger than 18 years for prepandemic period (April 2018-Dec 2019) and pandemic period (April 2020-Dec 2021). We used the diagnostic codes for firearm injury based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes (W32-34, X72-X74, X93-X95, and y22-24). Results: We analyzed data from our Level II pediatric center for prepandemic (April 2018-Dec 2019) and pandemic (April 2020-Dec 2021) periods. We had a total of 77 and 136 children during the prepandemic and pandemic period respectively, indicating a 76.6% increase in those experiencing firearm injuries. During both periods the 12–18-year age group accounted for 75% of the children, with males accounting 79% and 82 % during pre and pandemic periods respectively. Accidental (34%,26%, p 0.2), assault or homicide (64%, 70%, p 0.36) and self-inflicted or suicide (3%, 4%, p 0.7) were the categories during pre and pandemic periods respectively. There were total of 4 (5%) and 11 (8%) deaths in pre and pandemic periods, with no significant increase in mortality (p 0.4). During both the periods 90% of our population was public payer.
Conclusion(s): During the COVID 19 pandemic we saw an increase in children with firearm injuries and our data trends with published data from national and other regional data. Our data indicates an increase in non-fatal firearm injuries in children during the pandemic as there was no statistically significant increase in mortality.
