JAMA network open
-
Pediatric firearm injuries are a serious and growing public health problem, constituting the second leading cause of death in children and adolescents in the United States. Firearm injuries have a high case fatality, but knowledge is limited to date regarding their injury severity and health care utilization burden compared with those of other penetrating injuries, especially among children with critical injury. ⋯ This study found that pediatric firearm injuries were associated with greater severity and health care utilization compared with penetrating trauma from other mechanisms, suggesting that the mechanism of injury is an important consideration in penetrating sharp force trauma in children and adolescents. Public health measures, legislative efforts, and safe storage practices are among the interventions needed to reduce pediatric firearm injuries.
-
Little is known about variation in outcomes of surgery or about the factors associated with such variation. ⋯ In this study, models indicated that higher surgical volume by surgeon and by hospital as well as private hospitals were associated with better patient outcomes, which could be explained by the changing case mix of public hospitals treating an increasing number of more complex patients. A higher proportion of less experienced physicians was associated with poorer outcomes. This variation was observed geographically.