Differences in reporting of violence and deliberate self harm related injuries to health and police authorities, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
BACKGROUND
The aim of study was to assess differences in reporting of violence and deliberate self harm (DSH) related injuries to police and emergency department (ED) in an urban town of Pakistan.


RESULTS
Study setting was Rawalpindi city of 1.6 million inhabitants. Incidences of violence and DSH related injuries and deaths were estimated from record linkage of police and ED data. These were then compared to reported figures in both datasets. All persons reporting violence and DSH related injury to the police station, the public hospital's ED, or both in Rawalpindi city from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 were included. In Rawalpindi city, 1016 intentional injury victims reported to police whereas 3012 reported to ED. Comparing violence related fatality estimates (N = 56, 95% CI: 46-64), police reported 75.0% and ED reported 42.8% of them. Comparing violence related injury estimates (N = 7990, 95% CI: 7322-8565), police reported 12.1% and ED reported 33.2% of them. Comparing DSH related fatality estimates (N = 17, 95% CI: 4-30), police reported 17.7% and ED reported 47.1% of them. Comparing DSH related injury estimates (N = 809, 95% CI: 101-1516), police reported 0.5% and ED reported 39.9% of them.


CONCLUSIONS
In Rawalpindi city, police records were more likely to be complete for violence related deaths as compared to injuries due to same mechanism. As compared to ED, police reported DSH related injuries and deaths far less than those due to other types of violence.
Farooq
Umar
U
Surgical Unit I, Department of Surgery, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. dr_umar_farooq@yahoo.com
Majeed
Mudassir
M
Bhatti
Junaid Ahmad
JA
Khan
Jahangir Sarwar
JS
Razzak
Junaid Abdul
JA
Khan
Muhammad Mussadiq
MM
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D016495:Police / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult