Radiologic Findings in Intimate Partner Violence.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Forensic Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue with potential for serious physical harm.
• Radiologic imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing injuries, but its association with IPV requires further investigation.
• Identifying patterns in imaging findings could aid in the early detection and management of IPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between intimate partner violence and specific radiologic findings on imaging studies.
• To determine if imaging findings can improve the detection rate of IPV when combined with clinical data.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of electronic medical records for 185 patients in an IPV support program and 555 matched controls.
• Analysis of all imaging studies performed within 5 years prior to the index emergency department visit.
• Comparison of demographic, clinical, and radiologic variables between IPV victims and control subjects.

Main Results:

• IPV victims underwent significantly more imaging studies (median 4 vs. 1) than controls.
• Obstetric-gynecologic findings and acute fractures were independently associated with IPV.
• Imaging findings improved the predictive model for IPV detection (AUC 0.87 vs. 0.86).

Conclusions:

• Intimate partner violence victims have a higher frequency of imaging studies and violence-related radiologic findings.
• Radiologic findings, particularly fractures, are more prevalent in IPV victims.
• Incorporating imaging findings into multivariate models enhances the detection of intimate partner violence.