Homemade Dart Attacks in Hawai’i

Abstract

Over a 4.5-year period (September 2014 to March 2019), 7 patients presented to the State’s only Level I Trauma Center with penetrating injuries inflicted by homemade metallic darts. Previously described in Micronesia, these are the first domestic cases of assaults utilizing this type of weaponry. Retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients who presented to our institution with a dart injury within the study period. Details regarding demographics, imaging, and patient management were collected and described herein. All 7 patients were male with a median age of 24.6 years impaled with darts that penetrated through the deep muscle and tissue layers of the neck, torso, or extremity. Three patients required operative intervention and no mortalities were observed. The depth of penetration and proximity to vital structures highlight the potential for life-threatening injuries from these homemade darts.