Impact of community violence on the workload of a district general hospital

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Clinical observations indicate a rise in the incidence and severity of deliberate violence.
• A six-year trend analysis at Waveney Hospital showed increasing attendances due to assaults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the pattern of attendance, injuries, and treatment for assault victims.
• To analyze data from a six-month retrospective study of assault cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study design.
• Data collection over a six-month period (August 1987 to January 1988).
• Analysis of 284 assault cases presenting to Waveney Hospital.

Main Results:

• Most victims were young males.
• Injuries were predominantly superficial.
• Presentations often occurred outside normal working hours.
• 12% of patients required hospital admission.

Conclusions:

• Assaults represent a significant cause of hospital attendance, particularly among young males.
• The study highlights the need for understanding patterns of violence-related injuries.
• Further research may inform preventative strategies and resource allocation.