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Incidence and Circumstances of Nonfatal Firearm-Related Injuries Among Children and Adolescents
Elizabeth C. Powell, MD, MPH;
Edward Jovtis;
Robert R. Tanz, MD
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155:1364-1368.
Objective To describe the incidence and circumstances of nonfatal firearm-related
injuries among children and adolescents treated in US emergency departments.
Design Data were obtained from the Firearm Injury Surveillance Study, 1993-1997;
data were collected through medical record review at hospitals participating
in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
Setting The hospitals participating in National Electronic Injury Surveillance
System are a stratified probability sample of all US hospitals.
Main Outcome Measures Numbers and population rates for nonfatal firearm-related injuries among
children and adolescents younger than 20 years old.
Results An estimated 115 131 (95% confidence interval, 76 769-153 493)
children and adolescents were treated for a nonfatal gunshot wound during
the study period. The estimated annual rates of injury (per 100 000)
were 2.0 (children 0-4 years old), 2.2 (children 5-9 years old), 15.4 (children
10-14 years old), and 106.5 (adolescents 15-19 years old). The ratios of nonfatal
to fatal firearm-related injuries were 4.0 (children 0-4 years old), 4.4 (children
5-9 years old), 5.0 (children 10-14 years old), and 4.4 (adolescents 15-19
years old). An additional estimated 103 814 children (95% confidence
interval, 69 223-138 405) were shot with a nonpowder firearm (BB
or pellet gun). Boys 5 to 9 and 10 to 14 years old had the highest rates of
injury related to nonpowder firearms, an estimated 36.2 and 99.8 per 100 000,
respectively. Fifty-six percent of those 15 to 19 years old were assault victims.
An estimated 48% of children and adolescents with powder firearm–related
gunshot wounds and an estimated 4% with nonpowder firearm injuries were admitted
to the hospital.
Conclusions Nonfatal injuries related to powder firearms and nonpowder firearms
(BB or pellet guns) are an important source of injury among US children and
adolescents. Ongoing surveillance of nonfatal firearm-related injury among
children and adolescents is needed.
From the Divisions of Pediatric Emergency Medicine (Dr Powell and Mr
Jovtis) and General Academic Pediatrics (Dr Tanz), Children's Memorial Hospital,
and the Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School (Drs
Powell and Tanz), Chicago, Ill.
Corresponding author and reprints: Elizabeth C. Powell, MD, MPH,
Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Box 62, Children's Memorial Hospital,
2300 Children's Plaza, Chicago, IL 60614 (e-mail: epowell{at}northwestern.edu).
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