Arch Surg Chicago
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The response of the United States to a perceived terrorist threat is dichotomous. The hyperbole and exaggeration often displayed by the media and general public lies in stark contrast to the relative indifference with which terrorism is regarded by the medical community. ⋯ We will then outline recommendations for modest changes in our disaster medical planning to better prepare for these threats. Special attention will be directed at the emergence of nonconventional weapon use by terrorist organizations and how this might affect the civilian medical community.
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To test the hypothesis that guns have become the weapon of choice for assaults and that both assailants and victims have become progressively younger. ⋯ The incidence of penetrating trauma has increased in both absolute numbers and in relative proportion to blunt trauma. Firearms have become the weapon of choice and the single largest group of assailants are 11 to 20 years of age. The use of concurrent police and trauma center databases provides a more cogent basis for developing effective violence prevention strategies.