Abdominal stab wounds in Israel, 1997-2004: significant increase in overall incidence and prevalence of severe injury.
BACKGROUND
Non-operative management following abdominal stab wounds is possible in selected patients who are both hemodynamically stable and do not have signs of peritonitis. However, the rate of failure of non-operative management is higher in Israel than in western countries.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the patterns of injury following abdominal stabbing.


METHODS
Data from the Israeli Trauma Registry were used to identify all patients with abdominal stab injury admitted to eight different trauma centers between 1997 and 2004.


RESULTS
The number of patients admitted per year more than doubled between 1997 and 2004, from 257 to 599. The percentage of patients with severe injury (Index Severity Score > or = 16) increased from 9.4% to 19.0%. The incidence of multiple stab injuries almost doubled, from 37% to 62%.


CONCLUSIONS
Review of the data in the Israeli Trauma Registry indicates an increase in both absolute rate and relative incidence of serious stab injuries. This indicates that patterns of injury following stab wounds are not necessarily similar, not even within the same geographical area over time.
Kessel
Boris
B
Trauma Unit, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel. trauma@hillel-yaffe.health.gov.il
Peleg
Kobi
K
Hershekovitz
Yehuda
Y
Khashan
Tawfik
T
Givon
Adi
A
Ashkenazi
Itamar
I
Alfici
Ricardo
R
D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*