Article: 1700 Victims of intimate partner violence: Characteristics and clinical outcomes

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Title1700 Victims of intimate partner violence: Characteristics and clinical outcomes
AuthorsLau, CL1
Ching, WM1
Tong, WL1
Chan, KL2
Tsui, KL1
Kam, CW1
KeywordsBattered women
Domestic violence
Emergency medical services
Prevalence
Spouse abuse
Issue Date2008
PublisherHong Kong Medical Association. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hkmj.org/resources/supp.html
CitationHong Kong Medical Journal, 2008, v. 14 n. 6, p. 451-457 [How to Cite?]
AbstractObjective: To investigate the demographics and clinical outcomes of intimate partner violence victims presenting to an emergency department. Design: Retrospective, observational study. Setting: Emergency department of a regional hospital in Hong Kong. Patients: Adults presented with intimate partner violence during years 1999 to 2004. Results: We assessed 1695 victims of intimate partner violence with a mean age of 39 (range, 18-84) years, of whom 87% were female. Most of the patients were in the age-group of 31 to 40 years and the overall male-to-female ratio was 1:7. In Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long districts, such cases appeared to be on the increase. Nearly two thirds (65%) of all the victims presented to the emergency department outside the office hours of medical social workers. Approximately 10% had been abused once before, and 40% more than twice. The head (39%), face (30%), upper limbs (37%), and lower limbs (17%) were commonly the injured parts. The majority (73%) had mild injuries; severe injuries being relatively less common. The latter included lacerations or cuts (6.6%), nasal bone fractures (0.3%), limb fractures (0.8%), and ruptured tympanic membranes (0.9%). In-patient management was undertaken for 8% of the victims, due to physical injury in 68% of these individuals and psychological trauma in the remaining 32%. The hospital admission rate dropped from 12% in 2001 to 4% in 2004. Conclusions: Variations in demographic data had a significant impact on future service planning and management of intimate partner violence. Accident and Emergency Department and Emergency Medicine Ward services together with extended social worker support could provide timely, multidisciplinary care to meet the various needs of victims and subsequently reduce hospital admissions.
ISSN1024-2708
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.054
ReferencesReferences in Scopus
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.authorLau, CL
dc.contributor.authorChing, WM
dc.contributor.authorTong, WL
dc.contributor.authorChan, KL
dc.contributor.authorTsui, KL
dc.contributor.authorKam, CW
dc.date.accessioned2010-05-31T03:57:42Z
dc.date.available2010-05-31T03:57:42Z
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractObjective: To investigate the demographics and clinical outcomes of intimate partner violence victims presenting to an emergency department. Design: Retrospective, observational study. Setting: Emergency department of a regional hospital in Hong Kong. Patients: Adults presented with intimate partner violence during years 1999 to 2004. Results: We assessed 1695 victims of intimate partner violence with a mean age of 39 (range, 18-84) years, of whom 87% were female. Most of the patients were in the age-group of 31 to 40 years and the overall male-to-female ratio was 1:7. In Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long districts, such cases appeared to be on the increase. Nearly two thirds (65%) of all the victims presented to the emergency department outside the office hours of medical social workers. Approximately 10% had been abused once before, and 40% more than twice. The head (39%), face (30%), upper limbs (37%), and lower limbs (17%) were commonly the injured parts. The majority (73%) had mild injuries; severe injuries being relatively less common. The latter included lacerations or cuts (6.6%), nasal bone fractures (0.3%), limb fractures (0.8%), and ruptured tympanic membranes (0.9%). In-patient management was undertaken for 8% of the victims, due to physical injury in 68% of these individuals and psychological trauma in the remaining 32%. The hospital admission rate dropped from 12% in 2001 to 4% in 2004. Conclusions: Variations in demographic data had a significant impact on future service planning and management of intimate partner violence. Accident and Emergency Department and Emergency Medicine Ward services together with extended social worker support could provide timely, multidisciplinary care to meet the various needs of victims and subsequently reduce hospital admissions.
dc.description.natureLink_to_subscribed_fulltext
dc.identifier.citationHong Kong Medical Journal, 2008, v. 14 n. 6, p. 451-457 [How to Cite?]
dc.identifier.epage457
dc.identifier.hkuros162204
dc.identifier.issn1024-2708
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.054
dc.identifier.issue6
dc.identifier.openurl
dc.identifier.pmid19060344
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-60849095559
dc.identifier.spage451
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/59802
dc.identifier.volume14
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherHong Kong Medical Association. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hkmj.org/resources/supp.html
dc.publisher.placeHong Kong
dc.relation.ispartofHong Kong Medical Journal
dc.relation.referencesReferences in Scopus
dc.rightsHong Kong Medical Journal. Copyright © Hong Kong Medical Association.
dc.subjectBattered women
dc.subjectDomestic violence
dc.subjectEmergency medical services
dc.subjectPrevalence
dc.subjectSpouse abuse
dc.title1700 Victims of intimate partner violence: Characteristics and clinical outcomes
dc.typeArticle
Author Affiliations
  1. Tuen Mun Hospital
  2. The University of Hong Kong