Pediatric Firearm ED Visits Rose During Pandemic, Stayed Elevated Through 2023

A retrospective study using the Pediatric Health Information System examined firearm injury-related emergency department visits among patients under 18 from 2016 to 2023, identifying 6358 such visits. The study reported that visits increased from an average of 44.1 per month in 2016 to 83.3 in 2023, with an early pandemic surge in 2020 followed by no significant linear change but persistently elevated volumes. The authors noted that while hospitalization and mortality counts rose, their proportions remained stable, suggesting the increase reflected rising injury incidence rather than increased severity.

Most relevant for: Children and adolescents under 18 years old presenting to emergency departments with firearm-related injuries

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