Firearm-related fatality surveillance in Hartford County, Connecticut.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a firearm fatality surveillance system in Hartford County, Connecticut.


METHODS
Medical examiner, police, and crime lab data were collected for firearm deaths occurring in Hartford County during 1997. Data included characteristics of victims, suspects, and firearms. We used standard criteria for evaluating an epidemiological surveillance system.


RESULTS
The surveillance system detected 52 firearm-related fatalities; 31 were suicides and 21 were homicides. Handguns accounted for 50% of the suicides and 72% of the homicides. Sensitivity was 96%, specificity was 100%, representativeness adequate, simplicity enhanced by a common case identifier, flexibility constrained by the use of existing data, timeliness varied by data source, and system acceptable to all data sources. Estimated statewide cost is $200 per case, or $52,000 per year.


CONCLUSIONS
Firearm injury surveillance in Hartford County is feasible and expansion to statewide coverage possible. The surveillance yielded considerable data at reasonable costs.
Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Injury Prevention Center, 282 Washington Street Hartford, CT 06106, USA. GLapidu@CCMCKIDS.org
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Lapidus
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Merwin
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Carver
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Banco
D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000401:mortality*