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Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on May 11, 2007
Journal of Public Health 2007 29(2):186-190; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdm018
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© The Author 2007, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Trends in admissions to hospital involving an assault using a knife or other sharp instrument, England, 1997–2005



Roy Maxwell, Research Associate1,2,

Caroline Trotter, Research Fellow1,2

Julia Verne, Director2,3

Paul Brown, Assistant Director2,3

David Gunnell, Professor of Epidemiology1
1 Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Bristol BS8 2PR, UK
2 South West Public Health Observatory, Bristol BS8 2RA, UK
3 Regional Public Health Group, Government Office for the South West, Bristol BS1 6EH, UK

Address correspondence to Roy Maxwell, E-mail: roy.maxwell{at}bristol.ac.uk


  Abstract

Objectives To investigate recent trends in in-patient admissions in England for assaults that involve a stabbing.

Design and data source Time-series analysis of the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre's Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database.

Setting England, April 1997 to March 2005.

Main outcome measure All completed hospital admissions with a mention of assault by sharp object (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, code X99) in the relevant diagnosis fields in HES.

Results In the eight years between 1st April 1997 and 31st March 2005 the number of people admitted to hospital reportedly following an assault involving a sharp object rose by 30%, from 3770 patients in 1997/8 to 4891 in 2004/5. One hundred and fifty-four of these people died (0.5%). Forty-two percent (14 220) of admissions were on a Saturday or Sunday. Males accounted for 90% (males 30 464 and females 3406) of admissions. Forty-nine percent (14 786) of the men, and 41% (1383) of the women, had injuries to the head, neck or thorax.

Conclusions The number of recorded hospital admissions from stabbing assaults increased between 1997 and 2005. Approximately 13 people a day are currently admitted to hospital for treatment after being stabbed. Further research is required to identify effective interventions to reduce the number of stabbings.

Keywords: assault, hospital admissions, hospital episode statistics, knives


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