A review of stab wound injuries at a tertiary trauma centre in Singapore: are self-inflicted ones less severe

Abstract

, MBBS, FAMS INTRODUCTION In Singapore, as strict laws are a strong deterrent against armed violence, little is known about the epidemiology of penetrating stab wound injuries. Our study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of stab wound injuries at a major trauma centre in Singapore and determine if there was a difference in severity between self-inflicted stab wound (SI) injuries and those inflicted by others (IO). METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed all penetrating injuries at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and identified and categorised all stab wound injuries as SI or IO. Basic demographic information, injury severity characteristics and outcome data were compared between these two groups. A review of all mortalities was performed, including recording the causes of death.RESULTS Between 2005 and 2010, there were a total of 149 stab wound injuries, of which 24 (16.1%) were SI and 125 (83.9%) were IO injuries. Patients tended to be young (mean age 34.1 ± 14.2 years). The mean Injury Severity Score was significantly different between the SI and IO groups (8.8 ± 6.5 vs. 12.3 ± 8.1; p = 0.03). In both groups, the majority underwent an operative procedure (83.3% vs. 85.6%) and had an average hospital stay of four days. CONCLUSIONThe study confirms our hypothesis that SI injuries tend to be less severe than IO injuries and are more likely to occur at home rather than at a public area. This finding may be useful in the triage of patients with stab wound injuries.

Mortality Related Factors in Penetrating Abdominal Trauma

“…In our case, 77.5% of the cases of abdominal trauma were stab wounds, with a total of 231 patients in 2 years, demonstrating the high volume of patients who are managed surgically in urgent scenarios. In the same way that Leow et al data (15) suggested, our data imply that young men are more likely to participate in activities that result in penetrating abdominal injuries. This is due to the fact that male patients made up the vast majority of the population in the vast majority of cases, with a median age of 28 IQR (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29).…”

“…These injuries are usually the result of the application of a mechanical force on a focal area, which may varies depending on the force that is transmitted (14). Similarly, injuries are caused by a stab or gunshot, most often involving thoracic and abdominal trauma (15). Leow et al (15) published a study that included 149 stab wounds over a 5-year period.…”

“…Similarly, injuries are caused by a stab or gunshot, most often involving thoracic and abdominal trauma (15). Leow et al (15) published a study that included 149 stab wounds over a 5-year period. Furthermore, the mean age of the patients was 34.1 ± 14.2 years, and the majority of those affected were male patients (88.6%), but this increased to 93.6% when only "in icted by others" injuries were considered.…”

The Tsukui (Japan) Yamayuri-en Facility Stabbing Mass-Casualty Incident

“…The severity of sharp wounds tends to be worse when inflicted by others, compared to that of self-inflicted wounds. 10 Previous studies have reported that computed tomography is effective for the diagnosis of the severity or indication of surgery for penetrating neck trauma. 11 It is extremely difficult to accurately diagnose the depth or severity in field settings; thus, a more severe triage category must be assigned to casualties on the field for safety reasons.…”