PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH FRESH TRAUMA AFTER INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE .2. ASSAULT HISTORY

Background. Patients presenting with fresh trauma are frequently victi ms of interpersonal violence. Nevertheless, few South African studies have documented the history surrounding such assaults and their manage ment. Methods. Patients presenting with fresh trauma to the Trauma Uni t of Tygerberg Hospital were selected in order to provide a representa tive sample. Where patients were victims of interpersonal violence, a history of the current and previous assault(s) was taken. Results. Vic tims of interpersonal violence often reported that they had been invol ved in such violence on previous occasions, Nevertheless, these patien ts had rarely received management from psychosocial services. Patients with a previous history of having been assaulted had a number of dist inct characteristics, including female gender and increased substance use. Conclusions. Trauma has justifiably been described as a recurrent disease, There is an urgent need for effective psychosocial services for victims of interpersonal violence; ideally, this would prevent fut ure multiple hospital admissions.