Assault by strangulation: sex differences in patient profile and subsequent readmissions

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Trauma Care

Background:

• Assault by strangulation poses severe risks, including brain injury and death.
• Understanding patient profiles and readmission outcomes is crucial for effective healthcare strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile individuals experiencing emergency department (ED) or acute care visits due to strangulation assault.
• To investigate 1-year readmission outcomes for survivors of strangulation assault.

Main Methods:

• A population-based retrospective cohort study using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada (2002-2017).
• Inclusion criteria: Adults (≥15 years) with ED or acute care visits for strangulation assault.
• Bivariate analyses were performed, stratified by sex, to compare patient profiles and readmissions.

Main Results:

• 586 patients were included; most were female (70%), ≤39 years (68%), and from lower income quintiles (73%).
• Among survivors, 52% had ED readmission and 21% had acute care readmission within 1 year.
• Females had higher ED readmissions (56% vs. 17%), while males had higher acute care readmissions.

Conclusions:

• Individuals surviving strangulation assault exhibit high rates of readmission, with notable sex-based disparities.
• A sex-specific approach in healthcare practices is recommended to address the needs of this vulnerable population.
• Tailored interventions can potentially reduce health system inefficiencies and improve outcomes for strangulation assault survivors.