A Comparison of Self-Inflicted Stab Wounds Versus Assault-Induced Stab Wounds

Abstract

Background: Although self-inflicted and assault-induced knife injuries might have different mortality and morbidity rates, no studies have actually evaluated the importance of the cause of knife injuries in terms of patient outcomes and treatment strategies. Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the difference between the outcomes of patients presenting with self-inflicted stab wounds (SISW) versus assault-induced stab wounds (AISW). Patients and Methods:A retrospective review of the relevant electronic medical records was performed for the period between January 2000 and December 2012 for patients who were referred to the department of surgery for stab wounds by the trauma team. The patients were divided into either SISW (n = 10) or AISW groups (n = 11), depending on the cause of the injury. Results: A total of 19 patients had undergone exploratory laparotomy. Of the nine patients with SISW undergoing this procedure, no injury was found in seven of the patients. In the AISW group, eight of the ten laparotomies were therapeutic. Three patients in the AISW group died during hospital admission. The average number of stab wounds was 1.2 for the SISW group and 3.5 for the AISW group. Organ injuries were more frequent in the AISW group, affecting the lung (2), diaphragm (3), liver (5), small bowel (2), colon (2), and kidney (1). Conclusions: Although evaluations of the initial vital signs and physical examinations are still important, the history regarding the source of the stab wounds (AISW vs. SISW) may be helpful in determining the appropriate treatment methods and predicting patient outcomes.

Epidemiology of Knife Injuries at Ain Shams University Hospital Emergency Department from 2018 to 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Moreover, home was the most common place of injury, similar to the observation in Korea, Romania, UK, and USA. 5 , 8 , 17 , 24 Similar findings were reported in a community-based survey that involved 27 Egyptian governorates and included all injuries not only KRIs. 25 The most observed injury site was an isolated area in the chest, which was also observed in recent studies in Korea, Italy and USA.…”

“… 4 , 13 Moreover, the duration of hospital stay among our patients was similar with those in studies that were conducted in Korea and USA. 8 , 17 , 26 …”

“…Compared with unintentional injuries, intentional or self-inflicted sharp-related injuries usually have different outcomes in terms of mortality and morbidity. 4 , 8 …”

Self-Inflicted Stab Wounds: A Single-Center Experience from 2010 to 2016

“…A smaller data set from South Korea also reported 50 per cent of abdominal stab wounds being SISWs. 3 The results from these studies support the significant association between psychiatric illness and SISWs. Although this study is a comprehensive representation of stab wounds at an urban Level I trauma center, it does have several limitations.…”

“…1 Previous work assessing patterns of SISWs demonstrated that victims of such wounds tended to be male, of older age, and have preexisting behavioral disorders. 3 Indeed, a substantial fraction of these patients have suicidal ideations and require inpatient or outpatient psychiatric therapy. 4 These patterns seem to stand in stark contrast to victims of assault stab wounds (ASWs), who constitute most of the stab wound victims at major trauma centers.…”