Patterns of patient presentation to a Dublin urban emergency department with assault related injuries

After perceiving an increase in the number of patients attending a large urban Irish Emergency Department (ED) with injuries sustained in assaults, the authors sought to examine the issue. A prospective observational study was conducted to look at the demographic profiles of victim and perpetrator, at rates of crime reporting and at the level of follow-up care arranged in the ED. Those most commonly assaulted were young Irish males who usually sustained head or facial injuries during weekend nights. Glass was the weapon most often used. Less than two-thirds of all victims planned to report the incident to the Garda Siochana (the Irish national police force). Women assaulted by their partners were least likely to involve the police. One fifth of patients required admission. Violence in Dublin's inner city is now a major health issue.