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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Oct 1;274(4):e364-e369.
doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005043.

A Prospective US National Trauma Center Study of Firearm Injury Survivors Weapon Carriage and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Deepika Nehra  1 , Eileen M Bulger  1 , Ronald V Maier  1 , Kathleen E Moloney  2 , Joan Russo  2 , Jin Wang  3 , Kristina Anderson  2   4 , Douglas F Zatzick  2   3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A Prospective US National Trauma Center Study of Firearm Injury Survivors Weapon Carriage and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Deepika Nehra et al. Ann Surg. .

Abstract

Objective: To describe the demographic, injury-related, and mental health characteristics of firearm injury patients and trace firearm weapon carriage and PTSD symptoms over the year after injury.

Summary and background data: Based on the increasing incidence of firearm injury and need for novel injury prevention strategies, hospital-based violence intervention programs are being implemented in US trauma centers. There is limited data on the long-term outcomes and risk behaviors of firearm injury survivors to guide this work.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of a pragmatic 25-trauma center randomized trial (N = 635). Baseline characteristics of firearm-injured patients (N = 128) were compared with other trauma patients. Mixed model regression was used to identify risk factors for postinjury firearm weapon carriage and PTSD symptoms.

Results: Firearm injury patients were younger and more likely to be black, male and of lower socioeconomic status, and more likely to carry a firearm in the year before injury. Relative to preinjury, there was a significant drop in firearm weapon carriage at 3- and 6-months postinjury, followed by a return to preinjury levels at 12-months. Firearm injury was significantly and independently associated with an increased risk of postinjury firearm weapon carriage [relative risk = 2.08, 95% confidence interval (1.34, 3.22), P < 0.01] and higher PTSD symptom levels [Beta = 3.82, 95% confidence interval (1.29, 6.35), P < 0.01].

Conclusions: Firearm injury survivors are at risk for firearm carriage and high PTSD symptom levels postinjury. The significant decrease in the high-risk behavior of firearm weapon carriage at 3-6 months postinjury suggests that there is an important postinjury "teachable moment" that should be targeted with preventive interventions.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02655354.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Percentage of study participants carrying a firearm over the 12 months after an index injury admission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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