Medical care solicitation by criminals with gunshot wound injuries: A survey of Washington, DC, jail detainees

Background: The best estimates of nonfatal gunshot wounds in the United Sta tes come from hospital emergency room data and may miss, among other things , wounded individuals who do not seek medical treatment. Criminals may be t hose least likely to rely on professional care for their wounds, This study provides evidence of whether medical care is solicited by criminals after gunshot wounds. In addition, the circumstances of the injury events are des cribed. Methods: A case series of 79 detainees at a Washington, DC, jail who had pr eviously been shot in 93 separate incidents were interviewed using a standa rdized questionnaire. Data mere obtained concerning the age and race of the victim, the location of the wound, and the length of hospital stay, Results: In 92% of the incidents, respondents reported going to the hospita l; one-third of those shot were hospitalized for more than 1 week, More tha n half (54%) had been hit in the head or torso, and 40% had a current disab ility attributable to the wound, Conclusion: Among these "criminals," the vast majority reported that they o btained professional care for their gunshot wounds, Such evidence suggests that individuals previously thought unlikely to enter the medical care syst em after a firearm injury usually do so. Statistics on medically treated no nfatal gunshot wounds probably do not substantially underestimate the actua l number of nonfatal shootings,