Clinical Perspectives 36
36.3 COVID-19 AND THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF FIREARM INJURIES IN CHILDREN: A PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION PERSPECTIVE

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2021.07.813Get rights and content

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Objectives

Epidemiological data and chart review will demonstrate the vulnerability to life-threatening events for at-risk children during periods of high community dysregulation. Factors resulting in firearm injuries to children with a focus on the impact of COVID-19 will be discussed.

Methods

1) Epidemiological data were obtained using a literature search focusing on data from St. Louis. 2) An electronic health record (EHR) chart review was conducted for all admissions with gunshot injuries to a 40-bed pediatric rehabilitation hospital in St. Louis over the past 5 years. Data were collected on the following: number of admissions, insurance coverage, age of patients, sex, length of stay (LOS), and barriers to discharge.

Results

St. Louis is a city with historically high rates of gun violence; however, the numbers of children shot in 2020 were the highest recorded in the past 50 years. A disproportionate number were male, Black, and poor. Data from our hospital were as follows: there were 30 gunshot wound patient visits recorded from June 2016 to February 2021, with 24 inpatient admissions and 6 outpatients followed in clinic, totaling 25 males and 5 females. There were 9 inpatient admissions in 2020. LOS varied from 3

Conclusions

Data from St. Louis suggest that the rates of gunshot injuries experienced by children increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our data confirm this trend and demonstrate the impact on vulnerable populations.

CON, RCR, TRA

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