Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2017, Pages 1420-1426

Military Weapon Injury Among Illegal Immigrants at the Southern Border of Israel: A Single Level I Trauma Center Series (Article)

Shaked G.* , Yitzhak A. , Abramovich A. , Sebbag G. , Peleg K. , Davidson E. , Czeiger D.
  • a Department of Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, 64 Wingate Street, Beer Sheva, Israel
  • b Trauma and Combat Medicine Branch, Medical Corps, Surgeon General’s Headquarters, Israel Defense Forces, Jerusalem, Israel
  • c Trauma and Combat Medicine Branch, Medical Corps, Surgeon General’s Headquarters, Israel Defense Forces, Jerusalem, Israel
  • d Department of Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, 64 Wingate Street, Beer Sheva, Israel
  • e Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel National Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Ramat Gan, Israel
  • f Clinical Management, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel
  • g Department of Surgery, Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University, 64 Wingate Street, Beer Sheva, Israel

Abstract

This article describes the characteristics of injuries of illegal immigrants admitted to a Level I trauma center after being shot at the southern border of Israel. This is a retrospective descriptive study. Some of the variables were compared to a group of soldiers who sustained penetrating injury at the same region where the illegal migrant were injured. The study includes 162 patients. The lower body absorbed a higher percentage of the injuries (61 %). The hospitalization time is longer for the migrant patients compared to the soldiers (13 ± 2 vs. 3 ± 0.3 days p = 0.0001). This study on wounded immigrants shows that a conjoint military and civilian system can result in favourable outcomes. The manuscript is an attempt to bring this unique situation, its type of injuries, and the difficulties of the health system in coping with it, to the notice of all authorities that may address a similar challenge. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Illegal immigrants Border Penetrating injury Military weapon

Index Keywords

Trauma Centers Israel survival analysis human epidemiology middle aged statistics and numerical data length of stay ethnology Undocumented Immigrants Young Adult Humans undocumented immigrant Adolescent male female Africa Wounds, Penetrating Retrospective Studies weapon Weapons Injury Severity Score adult emergency health service age sex factor Sex Factors Age Factors penetrating trauma injury scale retrospective study mortality Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84975165512&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-016-0447-6&partnerID=40&md5=4619a604f67c187d502cec17e64ae89b
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0447-6
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English