From: Dean Payne Subject: Reports: JAMA & Media: NPR To: firearms-alert@shell.portal.com Date: Wed, 21 Jun 95 9:34:23 PDT Concerning last week's alert for National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation schedule for Friday, June 23: > HOUR 2 VIOLENCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES > For every one person shot to death in the U.S., nearly three > others are wounded but not killed by firearms. This, according > to a new study on guns and violence by federal officials. On > the next TALK OF THE NATION/SCIENCE FRIDAY, a closer look at > the seriousness of firearm injury as a public health problem. Interested activists should first review last week's (6/14/1995) issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, available at many public libraries. Nearly all of this issue is about violence and injuries. Many items deal with firearms. Two items possibly relevant to this Talk of the Nation program are: National Estimates of Nonfatal Firearm-Related Injuries - Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg. Annest, Mercy, Gibson, Ryan. (JAMA. 1995;273:1749-1754.) "An estimated 99 025 persons were treated for nonfatal firearm- related injuries in US hospital emergency departments during the study period. The rate of nonfatal firearm-related injuries was 2.6 times the national rate of fatal firearm-related injuries for 1992." (From an office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and: Hospitalization Charges, Costs, and Income for Firearm-Related Injuries at a University Trauma Center Kizer, Vassar, Harry, Layton. (JAMA. 1995;273:1768-1773) "The net income per patient ranged from an average loss of $6980 for each patient having no insurance to an average profit of $28 557 for each patient with a health maintenance organization contract. The losses sustained on nonsponsored and Medicaid patients were more than offset by net income from patients having private health insurance, Medicare, or other insurance coverage such that there was as average profit of $5809 per admission for firearm-related injury." "Treatment of firearm-related injuries produces net income for this university trauma center by virtue of the cost shifting built into its pricing structure. If data from this institution are extrapolated to the nation, then the actual cost of providing medical care for firearm-related injuries in the United States in 1995 is projected to be $4.0 billion. The majority of this cost will be paid indirectly by private health insurance." This report studied the University of California, Davis, Medical Center. Privately insured patients comprised 30% of the patients studied, but produced 63% of the revenue and nearly all of the profit from firearms injuries. Selected other JAMA items include: Weapon Involvement in Home Invasion Crimes (Kellerman) Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Domestic Homicide (Centerwall) Emergency Department Surveillance for Weapon-related Injuries -- Massachusetts November 1993 - April 1994 Letters: Firearm Training and Storage (Suter) News: Taking Aim at Handgun Violence States Debate "Carrying Concealed Weapons" Laws A Public Health Approach to Making Guns Safer Abstracts: Drive-By Shootings (Ann Emerg Med) The Incidence of Defense Firearm Use by US Crime Victims, 1987 Through 1990 (Am J Public Health) Editorials: The Unrelenting Epidemic of Violence in America: Truth and Consequences Books: [CT and x-ray images of gunshot injuries] Dean Payne deanp@lsid.hp.com