title: Dangers faced by emergency staff: experience in urban centers in southern Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and characteristics of aggression, threat and physical violence directed towards the staff in emergency departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was completed by the emergency staff. The individualized data collected included the pattern and incidence of violence, sex, age, profession, and years of experience of the emergency staff, and the behavioral characteristics of the assailants, together with outcome of incidents. Data regarding incidences occurring between May 1-31, 2006 were abstracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 109 staff were evaluated. There was a statistically significant relationship between aggression and profession (p=0.000), but no relation was determined with sex, age or years of experience (p values 0.464, 0.692, and 0.298, respectively). The relationship of incidences of threat with sex, age, profession, and experience was insignificant (p values 0.311, 0.278, 0.326, 0.994, respectively). On the other hand, significant relationships were identified between physical assault and sex, age, profession, and experience (p values 0.042, 0.000, 0.000, 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Violence directed towards the emergency staff is common. Aggression occurs towards the emergency physician distinctively. Otherwise, there is no significant relationship between aggression or threat and personal characteristics. However, male sex, > or =31 years of age, being an emergency physician, and having worked for longer than five years in the emergency department are the risk factors for physical violence.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Adana State Hospital, Adana, Turkey. docbetul@yahoo.com
authors: Betül
authors: B
authors: Gülalp
authors: Ozgür
authors: O
authors: Karcioğlu
authors: Zikret
authors: Z
authors: Köseoğlu
authors: Azade
authors: A
authors: Sari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000374:Aggression; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014421:Turkey; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult