Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Gunshot Wounds Cost $2.8 Billion Per Year in Hospital Care to Treat

Security newswire default
October 14, 2017

Gunshot wounds cost Americans $2.8 billion in hospital bills alone per year, according to a new analysis that was published in the journal Health Affairs.

A report on the analysis, published in the October issue of Health Affairs, is designed to highlight updated trends in types of firearm injuries and the kinds of firearms commonly used over time.

The researchers include Faiz Gani, M.D., a research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Surgery Center for Outcomes Research, and Joseph V. Sakran and Joseph K. Canner of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Much of the existing literature on firearm-related injuries focuses on pre-hospital statistics with limited data evaluating contemporary estimates for firearm-related injuries,” says Gani.

Although firearm-related deaths are the third leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States, efforts to understand national trends in incidence, prevalence and risk factors, as well as a quantifiable financial cost of firearm-related injuries, have been limited, Gani says.

Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, the largest all-payer emergency department (ED) database, Gani and colleagues analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 704,916 patients in the U.S. who arrived at an emergency room alive for treatment of a firearm injury from 2006 to 2014. Approximately 89 percent of the patients in the study group were men, with over 49 percent of patients age 18-29 years.

The study took into consideration social, economic and geographic differences; existing illnesses, including mental health disorders; the presence of substance abuse; injury severity; intent of injury (“unintentional,” “suicide,” “assault,” “legal” and “undetermined”); and the type of firearm used.

The research team found that firearm injuries were ninefold higher among male than female patients (45.8 ED visits per 100,000 versus 5.5 per 100,000) and were highest among males 20 to 24 years old (152.8 per 100,000).

The average ED and inpatient charges annually were $5,254 and $95,887, respectively, resulting in approximately $2.8 billion in annual ED and inpatient charges for the group studied. Gani notes that more than half of patients in the study sample were uninsured or self-paying, which means they either bear the burden of the actual hospital charges, or these charges are unrecovered and add to the overall uncompensated care provided by hospitals and health care systems.

The overall incidence of ED admissions for firearm-related injuries decreased from 27.9 visits per 100,000 in 2006 to 21.5 per 100,000 in 2013, representing a 22.9 percent decline. However, ED visits generally increased for those older than 30 years and increased overall for the entire study population in 2014 to 26.6 visits per 100,000.

The proportion of patients who arrived with a previously diagnosed mental health disorder rose over the study period (from 5.3 percent to 7.5 percent); and the proportion of patients injured by unintentional firearm-related injury increased (from 33.7-37.4 percent).

The majority of patients were injured by assault (49.5 percent) or unintentional injury (35.3 percent). Attempted suicide accounted for 5.3 percent.

Suicide attempts were twofold higher among Medicare enrollees (i.e., those over age 65) than among patients enrolled in other insurance plans. Patients who attempted suicide were also more likely to be in the highest income quartile, while those with assault-related injuries were more likely to be in the lowest income quartile.

The incidence of mental health disorders was highest (40 percent) among patients injured by attempted suicide. The incidence of mental health disorders was also higher among patients injured by hunting (12.6 percent) or military grade rifles (12.5 percent).

Over the study, a total of 8.3 percent of patients died in the ED or as an inpatient after their injury. Mortality was highest among older patients age 60 years or more (23.3 percent), those who sustained more severe injuries (32.7 percent) and those injured in an attempted suicide (38.5 percent).

Gani says the study’s main limitation is that it did not account for pre-hospital deaths or those who didn’t go to an ED after a firearm-related injury, so it likely underestimates the overall burden of firearm-related injuries, but he believes the new data paints an updated picture of gun violence trends.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/firearm_related_injuries_account_for_28_billion_on_emergency_room_and_inpatient_charges_each_year

http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/36/10/1729.full

 

KEYWORDS: active shooter violence workplace violence

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

What do zebras, school groups and high-tech surveillance have in common? They're all part of a day’s work for the security team at the Toledo Zoo.

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Generic Image for Enterprise Services

    Report Says Gunshot Wounds Drive Up Health Care Costs

    See More
  • Security newswire default

    Counterfeiters Cost U.S. up to $600 Billion a Year

    See More
  • mechanic

    Workplace Safety Index reveals workplace injuries cost U.S. companies $1 billion per week

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing