Automatic acoustic gunshot sensor technology's impact on trauma care

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Public health
• Emergency medicine

Background:

• Gun violence remains a significant urban public health challenge.
• Acoustic gunshot sensor (AGS) technology is increasingly deployed to detect shootings, but its impact on gunshot wound (GSW) victim outcomes is unknown.
• Less than 20% of GSW incidents are reported to police, highlighting the need for effective detection and response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between AGS technology and prehospital transport times for GSW patients.
• To compare trauma outcomes, including injury severity and mortality, between AGS-related and non-AGS-related GSW incidents.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 731 GSW patients from 2014-2016.
• Cross-referencing patient registry data with local police AGS alert data to categorize incidents.
• Comparison of prehospital times, injury severity scores, hospital resource utilization, and mortality between AGS-related and non-AGS-related cohorts.

Main Results:

• AGS-related GSW incidents (26%) were associated with significantly lower total prehospital time and on-scene time.
• Patients in the AGS cohort had higher injury severity scores (ISS) and required more hospital resources, including longer ventilator days and hospital stays.
• Mortality rates did not differ significantly between the AGS-related and non-AGS-related groups.

Conclusions:

• AGS technology is linked to reduced prehospital and on-scene times for GSW patients.
• Despite increased injury severity and resource use, AGS technology does not appear to negatively affect mortality.
• AGS technology shows promise for improving trauma patient outcomes in urban settings by expediting prehospital care.