Decoding Danger

• Soham Bhatt, Medical Diagnostics, Penn State University

• David Chen, iREACH, ChristianaCare

Firearms are a leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in the United States. In Delaware, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that there were at least one hundred firearm-related deaths each year from 2020 to 2024. This study examines how variables such as substance use and experiences with healthcare systems differ between fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries that occurred in Delaware during 2021. The retrospective cross-sectional study utilizes a standardized questionnaire that is adapted from the National Violent Death Reporting System. The data are from 2021 and were obtained from the ChristianaCare Health System, which includes the only adult Level 1 trauma center in Delaware. Cases were included if the encounter resulted in ICU admission or death. Variables that were looked at include mental health diagnoses, substance use, recent institutional release, relationships, stressors, and firearm-specific circumstances. Data abstraction is ongoing for 103 unique cases. Of these, approximately 43% of cases are non-fatal, whereas the other 57% of cases are fatal. Additionally, of all cases examined, 45.3% of cases involved patients who were documented to use substances. Going forward, agencies in Delaware, such as the Department of Health, can use the data to find better preventative measures that can be taken.