Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children

Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children

Published on: September 11, 2018

Clinical characteristics of firearm-related injuries in children in Turkey

Göksel Vatansever¹, Hayri Levent Yılmaz², Tuğçe Nalbant³

¹Divisions of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara.

The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics

|December 30, 2022

Insights

Pediatric firearm injuries in Turkey are a significant concern, with unintentional incidents being most common. Head/neck injuries and longer hospital stays strongly predict disability in children.

Area of Science:

Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Trauma Surgery
Public Health

Background:

Firearm-related injuries are a major cause of child mortality and morbidity globally.
Limited data exists on pediatric firearm injuries admitted to emergency departments and intensive care units.
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of pediatric firearm injuries in Turkey.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the incidence, causes, and outcomes of pediatric firearm injuries in Turkey.
To identify predictors of mortality and disability in children with firearm injuries.
To inform prevention and treatment strategies for pediatric firearm trauma.

Main Methods:

Multicenter, retrospective cohort study.
Data collected from university and research hospitals between 2010 and 2020.
Involved pediatric emergency departments, pediatric intensive care units, and surgery departments.

Main Results:

508 children admitted with firearm injuries (489 records analyzed).
55.0% unintentional, 8.2% homicide, 4.5% self-harm, 32.3% undetermined.
Mortality rate was 6.3% overall, 19.8% in PICU. Predictors of mortality: GCS, ventilation. Predictors of disability: head/neck injury, LOS, surgical interventions.

Conclusions:

Head/neck injury, prolonged hospitalization (>6 days), and surgical interventions are key predictors of disability.
High probability of disability (96.0%) for children hospitalized over 75 days.
Findings highlight the severe long-term consequences of pediatric firearm injuries.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Background:

A significant number of children are injured by or die from firearm-related incidents every year, although there is a lack of global data on the number of children admitted to pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) and pediatric intensive care units (PICU) with firearm injuries. This study is the most comprehensive analysis of firearm injuries sustained by children in Turkey to date.

Methods:

This multicenter, retrospective, cohort study was conducted between 2010 and 2020 with the contributions of the PEDs, PICUs, intensive care units, and surgery departments of university hospitals and research hospitals.

Results:

A total of 508 children were admitted to hospital with firearm-related injuries in the research period, although the medical records of only 489 could be obtained. Of the total admissions to hospitals, 55.0% were identified as unintentional, 8.2% as homicide, 4.5% as self-harm, and 32.3% as undetermined. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and ventilation support were found to be the most significant predictors of mortality, while head/neck injury, length of stay (LOS) in the hospital and surgical interventions were found to be the most significant predictors of disability. The overall mortality of firearm-related injuries was 6.3%, and the mortality for children admitted to the PICU was 19.8%. The probability of disability was calculated as 96.0% for children hospitalized with firearm injuries for longer than 75 days.

Conclusions:

Head/neck injury, LOS in the hospital, and surgical interventions were found to be the most significant parameters for the prediction of disability. Hospitalization exceeding 6 days was found to be related to disability.

Keywords:

disability firearm injuries mortality pediatric emergency medicine pediatric intensive care

More Related Videos

A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)

A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)

Published on: February 7, 2025

An Investigation of the Effects of Sports-related Concussion in Youth Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Head Impact Telemetry System

An Investigation of the Effects of Sports-related Concussion in Youth Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Head Impact Telemetry System

Published on: January 12, 2011

Related Concept Videos

Bullying

Bullying

A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...

Conduct Disorder

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects approximately 5-8% of children globally, with around 60-70% of cases persisting into adulthood. ADHD has significant implications for educational attainment, social interactions, and occupational success.
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....

Flail Chest-II

Flail Chest-II

Managing flail chest, a condition characterized by a segment of the chest wall moving independently from the rest of the thoracic cage, requires a comprehensive approach. It includes a thorough assessment of the patient's condition, a diagnostic evaluation to determine the extent of the injury, and the implementation of appropriate medical interventions tailored to the individual's needs.
Assessment:
1. Clinical Evaluation:
History:

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Pediatric Candidozyma auris Infection and Colonization in a Tertiary Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Experience.

Mycopathologia·2026

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy for Acute Decompensation in Inborn Errors of Metabolism: Single-Center, Pediatric Cohort, 2014-2025.

Pediatric critical care medicine : a journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies·2026

Quality and concordance of international paediatric sepsis guidelines: a cross-sectional appraisal from the SENTINEL International study.

Archives of disease in childhood·2026

Association of stress hyperglycemia with severe outcomes in ill-appearing children.

The American journal of emergency medicine·2026

Association between nirsevimab coverage and pediatric emergency department visits for bronchiolitis in 12 European countries: An interrupted time-series analysis.

PLoS medicine·2026

Can the Bladder Stimulation Technique Solve the Urine Collection Chaos in the Pediatric Emergency Department? A Prospective Comparison with the Traditional Bag Method.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

See all related articles