Adult sexual assault evaluations at Rhode Island emergency departments, 1995-2001.
The objectives of this study were to estimate the incidence and identify the temporal patterns of visits to Rhode Island emergency departments (EDs) by adults who were sexually assaulted. Visits to all Rhode Island EDs from January 1995-June 2001 by adults who were sexually assaulted were identified using International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9) codes. Medical records of these visits were reviewed. Frequency distributions of the assault characteristics and patient demographics were generated. Incidence rates (IRs) of ED visits after sexual assault were estimated using 2000 US Census data. Analyses of the temporal patterns of the ED visits after sexual assault were conducted. Of the 823 ED visits, 796 (96.7%) were by females and 27 (3.3%) were by males. The median age for females was 25 years (range, 18-96 years) and was 28 years (range, 18-87 years) for males. Among the female patients, 76.6% sustained a vaginal/anal assault. Among the male patients, 59.3% sustained an anal assault. The average annual IR of ED visits after sexual assault was 30.3/100,000/year for females and 1.2/100,000/year for males, which is a 25-fold greater incidence of these visits for females than males. ED visits after adult sexual assault were more frequent during warmer months and around 5 P.M. There was a gradual 43% increase in the IRs of ED visits after sexual assault over the 6.5-year period. These findings should help direct EDs to maximize supportive services when they are needed most often.
Merchant
Roland C
RC
Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA. rmerchant@lifespan.org
Lau
Tse Chiang
TC
Liu
Tao
T
Mayer
Kenneth H
KH
Becker
Bruce M
BM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Br J Prev Soc Med. 1975 Mar;29(1):18-21
1137765
J South Orthop Assoc. 1997 Spring;6(1):8-16
9090620
IARC Sci Publ. 1987;(82):1-406
3329634
Womens Health Issues. 2005 Jul-Aug;15(4):157-66
16051106
Acad Emerg Med. 1995 Jul;2(7):615-20
8521208
Violence Against Women. 2005 Apr;11(4):473-504
16043559
J Public Health Med. 2001 Sep;23(3):205-11
11585193
J Public Health Med. 1998 Mar;20(1):63-9
9602451
MMWR Recomm Rep. 2002 May 10;51(RR-6):1-78
12184549
J Interpers Violence. 2004 Jan;19(1):3-12
14680526
Ann Emerg Med. 2007 Feb;49(2):210-7
17145110
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2002 Apr;23(4):700-5
11950672
Med Health R I. 2002 Aug;85(8):244-8
12378689
Am J Public Health. 1994 Apr;84(4):640-2
8154570
MMWR Recomm Rep. 2001 Jun 29;50(RR-11):1-52
11442229