title: [Analysis on the occurrence of violence among the injury surveillance program in the Emergency Department].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the characteristics of violence events occurred at the Emergency Department in the hospital and to provide evidence for prevention and control of the problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveillance on injuries was performed on those patients who first visited the Emergency Department in a general hospital in Shantou from January 1st 2000 to December 31th 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total number of 11 472 injured patients registered in a 3-year surveillance program at the Emergency Department. Among the patients under surveillance, 29.0% of them were injured by violence events. The ratio of male to female was 3.8:1. The high risk age groups of violence patients were 15 - 44 years (77.1%) with workers as the majority. Home was the most common place for suicide/self-hurt (occupied 42.2%), and highway seemed to be the most common place for homicide/be injured (occupied 44.7%) to occur. Pre-hospital care for the injured patients was mostly taken care by other people (80.1%). Opening trauma appeared to be the most common injury caused by the violence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study on violence surveillance program at the Emergency Department provided information for identifying the main problems and population at high risk. Violence surveillance in the emergency department of different areas needs to be carried out in order to take preventive measures accordingly.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou 515031, China.
authors.forename: Li-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua-zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004630:Emergencies / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009790:Occupations; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology