EPIDEMIOLOGY OF FIREARM MORTALITY AND INJURY ESTIMATES - STATE OF CONNECTICUT, 1988-1993

Study objectives: To retrospectively determine the 6-year cumulative i ncidence rate of firearm mortality and estimate nonfatal firearm injur ies in Connecticut. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data originatin g from the Connecticut State Medical Examiner's Office and records fro m the Trauma Registry of one urban hospital. Results: From January 198 8 through December 1993, 1,625 Connecticut residents died from firearm -related injuries. The cumulative incidence rate was 49.4 deaths per 1 00,000 population during the 6-year study period. Rates peaked among 2 0- to 24-year-olds at 18.1 deaths per 100,000. Males outnumbered femal es more than eightfold. The ratio of nonfatal firearm injuries to fire arm deaths was 7:1 for those shot by another; self-inflicted injuries were fatal in half of all cases. Conclusion: Analysis of firearm morta lity data indicated that males in younger age categories were dispropo rtionately affected. These rates combined with nonfatal injury project ions demonstrate that firearms represent a significant public health t hreat to the population of Connecticut, reaching epidemic proportions among specific subpopulations. These results are consistent with those obtained from national studies.