Adolescents injured by firearm and their related biosocioeconomic factors

Abstract

Background: In recent years, gunshot wounds (HPAF) have increased worldwide; they are the second cause of traumatic death in adolescents in the United States. In Honduras this pathology has increased probably due to factors of various kinds such as: family disintegration, unemployment, early incorporation to criminal groups, drug experiences, uncontrolled dissemination of violent acts through mass media and ease of acquisition of weapons.

Objective: To determine the biological, social and economic factors related to HPAF in adolescent patients treated in the Pediatric Emergency of the Hospital Mario Catarino Rivas, in the period of July 2015 -June 2017.

Patients and methods: descriptive, observational, prospective study, with non-probabilistic sampling for convenience.

Results: the prevalence was 4.1%. Among adolescents with HPAF, the biosocioeconomic factors identified as dropouts were: family disintegration, emancipation, poverty, family economic dependence, association with criminal groups, alcohol and tobacco use.

Conclusions: In this study, the male sex predominated and adolescents were the most affected age group. A large part resided in San Pedro Sula and there was also a relationship with the geographical location of the trauma, which was the same. It should be noted that medical complications did not predominate, but the main motive of the trauma was assaults.