The recent knife attacks, on the Strip in Las Vegas, at Purdue University, and the fatal stabbing of FDNY Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, got me thinking about caring for stabbing patients. We devote a good deal of training time to blunt trauma and gunshot wounds, but stab wounds also present a real danger for patients. Knife wounds or stabbings from other sharp or pointed, handheld instruments, such as a shiv or a broken piece of glass are considered penetrating trauma and require careful assessment and timely treatment to enhance survival.
Penetrating trauma generally represents less than 10% of all trauma cases, although some geographic regions may see as high as 25%. Stab wounds occur much less commonly than gunshot wounds, accounting for 6% of penetrating trauma deaths according to CDC WISQARS data.
Keep the following in mind when called to a stabbing victim. Read More…