Acting Assistant Professor University of Washington Seattle, Washington, United States
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence of pediatric traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) secondary to gun violence and identify associated risk factors to better understand and prevent such injuries.
Design: As part of a retrospective cohort study, patients with TSCI from all causes from July 2012 to July 2022 (n=1569) were identified from our level 1 trauma center Trauma Registry. Patients were further stratified by age with pediatric cases defined as age less than 18 years (n=92). Demographic information including gender, age in years (0-5, 6-12, 13-18), race, ethnicity, and year of injury was obtained from the Trauma Registry. Cases were further stratified by mechanism of injury. Statistical analyses, including relative risk and chi-square test of independence, were completed to identify risk factors for gun violence-related TSCI.
Results: Of the 92 cases of pediatric TSCI, the most common mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle accidents (29.3%), falls (20.7%), and gun violence (16.3%). Patients with TSCI due to gun violence were older than patients with other causes of TSCI (15.9±0.8 vs. 12.1±5.2, p< 0.0001). Most gun violence-related SCI was due to interpersonal violence/assault (80%), rather than accidental or self-inflicted. The distribution of race categories (Black, white, other) differed between gun violence-related TSCI and other TSCI (p < 0.0001, X2 test). Black children comprised 46% of gun violence related TSCI and 5% of other TSCI, while white children comprised 46% of gun violence related TSCI and 77.6% of other TSCI.
Conclusions: Risk factors for gun violence-related TSCI in children included increased age (15-17) and Black race. Further research is needed to evaluate these patterns at a national level and to target interventions to prevent these injuries among vulnerable populations.
