The following is a summary of “Previous exposure to violence among emergency department patients without trauma-related complaints: A cross sectional analysis,” published in the June 2023 issue of Emergency Medicine by Chhabra, et al.

Understanding the prevalence of community violence and its impact on adult Emergency Department (ED) patients without trauma-related complaints is essential for developing effective screening and intervention strategies. For a study, researchers sought to determine the prevalence of community violence exposure and characterize the types of violence experienced by adult ED patients without trauma-related complaints to identify the need for expanded screening for violence exposure in this population.

The prospective cross-sectional observational study at an urban public hospital enrolled adult ED patients without trauma-related chief complaints. A total of 222 respondents completed some or all of the modified SECV. The respondents’ ages ranged from 19 to 88, with 47.7% identifying as female and 50.9% as male. Among all respondents, 43.7% reported lifetime witnessing of violence, 69.4% experienced personal victimization by violence, and 55.4% knew someone personally killed by a violent act. Of those victimized, 47.4% experienced violence within the preceding 3 years, and 20.1% experienced violence within the past 3 months. 

In the survey, respondents reported experiencing various forms of victimization during their lifetimes, which included slapping, hitting, or punching (45.9%); robbings or muggings (33.8%); physical threats (28.8%); verbal or emotional abuse (27.5%); being shot at (18.0%); uncomfortable physical touch (15.3%); forced entry while home (14.4%); sexual assault, molestation, or rape (13.5%); and being attacked with a knife (13.5%). 

When comparing male and female respondents, it was found that 63.5% of females and 76.6% of males reported experiencing any form of violent victimization throughout their lives. The odds ratio (aOR) for this difference was 1.88, with a 95% CI of 1.04 to 3.43, indicating a higher likelihood of males experiencing violent victimization.

Additionally, the survey revealed that 31.7% of females and 56.3% of males reported witnessing violence at some point. The odds ratio (aOR) for this comparison was 2.86, with a 95% CI of 1.64 to 5.06, indicating that males were more likely to have witnessed violence than females.

The study’s findings highlighted the high prevalence of community violence exposure among adult ED patients without trauma-related complaints. Given the substantial impact of violence on individuals’ health, it is crucial to adopt trauma-informed care approaches and develop efficient screening tools to identify previous trauma exposure in this population. The findings emphasized the need for comprehensive interventions and support services for individuals affected by community violence.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675723001250