Background: Emergency providers (EPs) are uniquely placed to advocate for firearm safety and have been shown to be at risk of exposure to firearms in the emergency department (ED). We sought to characterize EPs' knowledge of firearms, frequency of encountering firearms in the ED and level of confidence with safely removing firearms from patient care settings.
Methods: This was a survey study of EPs representing medical centers in 22 states. A 15-item questionnaire was e-mailed to all EPs at all included institutions. Questions pertained to EPs' knowledge of firearms, experience with handling firearms, and exposure to firearms while at work. We calculated response proportions with p-values and conducted association analyses among survey items.
Results: Of 2,192 survey recipients, 1,074 (49.0%) completed the survey. A total of 635 (59.1%) reported encountering firearms in the ED or its immediate environment at least once per year, and 582 (54.2%) were not confident in their ability to safely handle a firearm found in a patient's possession. Frequency of handling firearms was significantly higher in states in the top quartile for firearm ownership, with 21.5% of respondents reporting handling firearms daily or weekly, compared to 10.9% in bottom-quartile states. Level of firearms training also differed significantly: 42.1% of respondents in top-quartile states reported formal training compared to 33.0% in bottom-quartile states. Increased regional firearm ownership rates were associated with decreased rates of feeling unsafe at work.
Conclusions: The majority of surveyed EPs reported little experience with handling firearms. Firearm experience was associated with comfort with managing firearms found in patients' possession. Regional differences were found regarding personal firearm experience and perceptions of workplace safety, both of which were associated with regional variations in firearm ownership. Despite this, no regional differences were found in encountering firearms in or around the ED. EPs may benefit from training on safely handling firearms.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acem.13849 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
A Randomized Controlled Trial on Teaching the Safe Handling of Firearms Using a Simulation-Based Assessment.
Simul Healthc
October 2024
From the Department of Emergency Medicine (J.K., A.V.G., N.D.), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Emergency Medicine (J.Y., S.L.-S.), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; Department of Emergency Medicine (C.L., M.P.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine (W.B.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI; Department of Medicine (N.O.), Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; and Department of Emergency Medicine (A.R.K.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.
Introduction: Emergency providers risk encountering firearms in the emergency department, but a minority report familiarity with handling firearms. It may be unsafe if unfamiliar, untrained providers attempt to remove a firearm from the clinical care space. This study assessed the efficacy of an educational intervention training resident physicians in this task.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRural adolescents are at risk for firearm-related injury and death. In response, professional organizations have called for communication between adolescents, parents, and providers about firearms. A shared understanding of firearms between providers and families can facilitate effectiveness of health interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFirearm-Related Unintentional Childhood Injury in Israel.
J Community Health
October 2024
Beterem Safe Kids, Petah Tikwa, Israel.
The rise in demand for firearm licenses in Israel due to the ongoing 2023-2024 Israel-Gaza War, coupled with the easing of regulations for issuing weapons, is expected to lead to a significant increase in the incidence of firearms among civilians. This situation calls for a special awareness of civilian populations of the dangers posed to children by the high prevalence of firearms. We therefore present trends in firearm-related incidents resulting in unintentional mortality and morbidity of children ages 0-17 between the years 2008-2023 in Israel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpanding bullets and ballistic gelatin - A restricted expansion experiment.
Leg Med (Tokyo)
November 2024
Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 8000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
Ballistic gelatin has gained a status as standard method for terminal ballistic testing and experimenting. Variation considering the recipe and manufacturing of the blocks exists. The golden standard has been a cuboid gelatin block, dimensions varying according to the type and kinetic energy of the ammunition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!