Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38342701›Full record

ArticleInjury2024

Patterns of firearm related injury in the elderly: A single institution analysis.

Courtney H Meyer, Rachel Holstein, Catherine McGeoch, Lauren Hudak, Randi N Smith

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Injury, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Firearm Deaths Impacting Older Adults.Journal of community health · 2025
    Article
  3. Perioperative Management of the Geriatric Trauma Patient.Current anesthesiology reports · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Courtney H MeyerGrady Health System, Atlanta, GA, US; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, US; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, US.
Rachel HolsteinEmory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, US.
Catherine McGeochEmory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, US.
Lauren HudakGrady Health System, Atlanta, GA, US; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, US; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, US.
Randi N SmithGrady Health System, Atlanta, GA, US; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, US; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, US. Electronic address: randi.smith@emory.edu.
Emory University · US

Funding

Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE)UL1TR002378 · NCATS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Andres J Garcia, Elizabeth O. Ofili · 2017 to 2026
$92.1M
J: NRSA Training CoreTL1TR002382 · NCATS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI HENRY M BLUMBERG, Vasiliki Michopoulos · 2017 to 2026
$8.5M
Critical Care Training ProgramT32GM095442 · NIGMS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Craig M Coopersmith · 2011 to 2026
$4.7M
NCATS NIH HHS TL1 TR002382NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002378NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM095442
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFirearm-related violence (FRV) is a public health crisis in the United States that impacts individuals across the lifespan. This study sought to investigate patterns of injury and outcomes of firearm-related injury (FRI) in elderly victims and the impact of social determinants of health on this age demographic.

methodsA retrospective review of the trauma registry at a large Level I center was performed from 2016-2021. Patients over age 18 were included and FRI was defined by ICD 9 and 10 codes. Comparisons were then made between elderly (age > 65 years) and non-elderly (age 18-64 years) victims. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, in-hospital complications and the impact of distressed community index (DCI) and insurance status on discharge disposition.

results23,975 patients were admitted for traumatic injury and 4,133 (6 %) were elderly. Of these, 134 had penetrating injuries and 72 (54 %) were FRI. The elderly patients had a median age of 69y and they were predominantly black (50 %) males (85%). Over 75 % had some form of government insurance compared to less than 20% in non-elderly (p<0.001). 33 % of elderly FRIs were self-inflicted compared to only 4 % in the non-elderly cohort and their overall mortality rate was 25 % versus 15 % in non-elderly with FRI (p = 0.038). The median DCI for the non-elderly victims was 72.3 [IQR 53.7-93.1] compared to 63.7 [IQR 33.2-83.6] in the elderly (p < 0.001), however, over 50 % of elderly victims were living in "at risk" or "distressed" communities.

conclusionFRV is a public health crisis across the lifespan and elderly individuals represent a vulnerable subset of patients with unique needs and public health considerations. While many interventions target youth and young adults, it is imperative to not overlook the elderly in injury prevention efforts, particularly self-directed violence. Additionally, given most elderly victims were on government funded insurance and had a higher likelihood of requiring more costly discharge dispositions, new policies should take into consideration the potential financial burden of FRV in the elderly.

Indexed as

FirearmsWounds, GunshotWounds, PenetratingAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHospitalizationHumansIntensive Care UnitsMaleMiddle AgedPublic HealthRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesYoung AdultElderly, social determinants of healthFirearm related injuryFirearm related violenceInjury preventionTraumaTrauma surgeryViolent injury prevention

Identifiers

PMID38342701
PMCPMC11023746
OpenAlexW4390707323

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.