title: Physical violence among elderly: analysis of admissions to an emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical violence is defined as deliberate use of physical force likely to result in trauma, bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Present study is pioneering effort to evaluate mechanisms and sociodemographic features of physical violence targeting the elderly in Turkey and to investigate preventive measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Database records and forensic reports were analyzed in this retrospective study of 54 elderly patients with trauma as result of physical violence who were admitted to emergency department of Şanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital between January 2012 and July 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 54 patients evaluated, 50 (92.4%) were male. History of experiencing previous violence was described by 55.6% (n=30) of the patients. Instances of repeat violence and firearm injuries most often occurred in the home (p=0.006, p=0.007). Need for surgical treatment was also greater among cases that occurred in the home (p=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Firearm injury, recurrent violence, and surgical treatment rates were higher among cases that occurred in the home. Urgent preventive measures are especially needed for the elderly who have already been victims of physical violence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir-Turkey. dryko38@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kılıç Öztürk
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Düzenli
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karaali
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Öztürk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000066550:Physical Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology*