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[Attempted suicide--a challenge for the trauma surgeon?]
A Katzer1, N M Meenen, G Fröschle
1Abteilung für Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universïtätskrankenhaus Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Unfallchirurgie
|June 2, 1998
Summary
Skeletal damage is the most common injury in suicide attempts, affecting over half of patients. Violent suicide methods often cause severe trauma, similar to major accidents.
Area of Science:
- Trauma surgery
- Forensic pathology
- Public health
Context:
- Analysis of 767 patients following suicide attempts or completed suicides.
- Retrospective study examining injury patterns in violent suicide methods.
- Comparison of injury profiles between suicide cases and severe road traffic accidents.
Purpose:
- To characterize the spectrum of injuries sustained in violent suicide attempts.
- To identify the most frequent types of trauma in this patient cohort.
- To highlight the challenges in managing complex injuries from unusual suicide techniques.
Summary:
- Skeletal damage occurred in 52% of patients, followed by central nervous system (26.6%) and parenchymatous organ injuries (20.1%).
- Extensive soft tissue injuries (18.1%) and vascular lesions (16%) were also significant.
- Multiple trauma patients constituted 22.9%, indicating severe injury patterns from violent methods like high- Jumps and train-related incidents.
Impact:
- Understanding injury patterns aids in emergency response and treatment protocols for suicide survivors.
- Highlights the need for specialized trauma care, particularly for severe and unusual injuries.
- Informs public health strategies aimed at suicide prevention and post-attempt care.
