16 Apr CDC Study Analyzes Patterns of Firearm Injury Emergency Department Visits
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
The Study Authors at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MedicalResearch.com: How were the states selected in this analysis and how does this compare to firearm injuries in other states
Response: Jurisdictions included were part of CDC’s Firearm Injury Surveillance Through Emergency Rooms (FASTER) program: District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. FASTER collected near real-time emergency department data for firearm and violence-related injuries from 2020 to 2023. This timely state- and local-level data can support hospitals and health systems in responding to health problems and improving clinical services.
MedicalResearch.com: Have rates of firearm injury increased since the study has been conducted?
Response: This report did not analyze trends over time. Rather, it provides a detailed analysis of the timing of firearm injury emergency department visits to help support clinical and trauma center staffing.
A CDC report published last November analyzed trends in emergency department visits for firearm injuries from January 2018 through December 2023. It found rates of emergency department visits for firearm injuries increased significantly during 2018–2020 and then decreased during 2021–2023, with rates in 2023 still higher than those in 2019.
MedicalResearch.com: How may these findings can be used to adjust practice or emergency department protocols?
Response: Most cities use police data to inform prevention planning, but data from hospital and public health sources is an essential, and often missing, piece to guide action as many incidents of violence and crime are not reported to police. Previously published research using health data has less precise information, for example using times like “night” instead of specific times, or only focusing on urban areas.
This report provides valuable information to help hospitals and health systems. Knowing when firearm injury emergency department visits are higher can help inform decisions about physician staffing, resource allocation, and trauma preparedness to reduce delays in care and use resources most effectively.
This data can be particularly helpful for staffing trauma centers and emergency medical services (e.g., ambulance services).
MedicalResearch.com: What are the implications of firearm injuries for public health?
Response: There are more than 40,000 firearm-related injury deaths in the United States each year, including suicide, homicide, and unintentional injury, and more than twice as many non-fatal firearm injuries. This study helps provide data that hospitals and clinicians can use to improve staffing for traumatic injuries to improve patient outcomes.
More information about the consequences and costs of firearm injury are available on our website: Fast Facts: Firearm Injury and Death | CDC.gov.
Citation:
Patterns of U.S. Firearm Injury Emergency Department Visits by Month, Day, and Time During 2018 to 2023. Ann Intern Med. [Epub 15 April 2025]. doi:10.7326/ANNALS-24-02874
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Last Updated on April 16, 2025 by Marie Benz MD FAAD
