Study Shows Emergency Departments Treat Firearm Injuries Every 30 Minutes

An extensive analysis of firearm-related emergency department (ED) visits has revealed a staggering statistic: on average, one firearm injury is treated every 30 minutes across ten jurisdictions from 2018 to 2023.

The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, highlight significant temporal patterns in firearm injuries, as researchers discovered that the highest rates of ED visits occurred during evenings, weekends, holidays, and particularly in the summer months. This research, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), represents the most comprehensive examination to date of the timing and frequency of firearm injuries treated in emergency settings.

Data was gathered from nine states--Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia--as well as the District of Columbia. The researchers focused on ED visits from January 1, 2018, to August 30, 2023, using information obtained through the CDC's Firearm Injury Surveillance Through Emergency Rooms program (FASTER).

The results indicated an overall rate of firearm injury ED visits at 73.9 per 100,000 total ED visits, culminating in a total of 93,022 identified visits over the five-year span. This translates to approximately one ED visit for firearm injuries every half hour.

Notably, the rates of firearm injury ED visits exhibited a gradual increase from the afternoon into the night, peaking between 2:30 AM and 3:00 AM. Analyzing daily trends, the research found that Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays presented the highest average rates of firearm injuries. Special attention was drawn to specific dates, with New Year's Eve recording the highest daily rate. Moreover, July emerged as the month with the most significant number of firearm injury ED visits.

Holidays such as Independence Day, Memorial Day weekend, and Halloween also saw elevated rates of firearm injuries compared to non-holiday periods. The researchers suggest that these patterns could be beneficial in informing emergency preparedness and healthcare staffing, which may ultimately reduce mortality rates associated with firearm injuries.

While acknowledging that the data may not represent national trends, the researchers emphasize the importance of understanding these temporal patterns to develop more effective prevention strategies and programs aimed at reducing firearm-related injuries.