Increased Mortality and Morbidity Due to the Increase in Border Wall Height

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Trauma Surgery
• Border Security Policy

Background:

• Border wall construction and height increases have geopolitical implications.
• Falls from elevated structures pose significant risks of severe injury.
• Trauma centers near border regions manage unique injury patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of increased border wall height on injury severity.
• To compare trauma admissions and injury outcomes before and after wall height modification.
• To identify trends in medical consequences resulting from border wall falls.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of patients admitted for border wall falls (March 2016-December 2021).
• Inclusion of data from a level 1 trauma center in California.
• Comparison of injury severity score (ISS), length of stay (LOS), and need for ventilation, ICU, and surgery between pre- and post-wall height increase subgroups.

Main Results:

• Border wall fall injuries increased by 1250% (4 to 50 admissions) from 2016 to 2021.
• Hospital admissions rose from 20 to 84, and ISS increased from 9 to 15.
• Increased intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay was statistically significant (p=0.02), indicating more severe injuries.

Conclusions:

• The rise in border wall height correlates with a surge in trauma admissions and injury severity.
• Increased border wall height has created a public health crisis.
• Political decisions regarding border infrastructure have direct and profound medical consequences.