[Penetrating trauma treated by the Medical Emergency Care Unit in Copenhagen].

Introduction: The World Health Organization defines violence as a public health problem, affecting mainly boys and young men. Interpersonal violence with sharp objects and arms is rare in Denmark, but has been the focus of attention from the media and general population. This study describes the incidence and characteristics of penetrating trauma treated by the Medical Emergency Care Unit in Copenhagen (MECU) from 2000 to 2007.
Material and Methods: The study is a historical cohort study with 30-day follow-up. Patients treated by the MECU for penetrating trauma were included. The physician manning the MECU prospectively registered clinical data and pre-hospital treatment for later analyses. Mortality after 30 days was assessed via the Danish Civil Registry System.
Results: A total of 764 patients were eligible for inclusion. We were unable to identify three patients due to missing civil registration numbers. Among the remaining 761 patients, 86% were male with a median age of 32 years. A total of 12 foreigners could only be followed to hospital discharge. The annual incidence of penetrating trauma remained unchanged around 93 cases throughout the study period (p = 0.39). The percentages of trauma caused by violence, as well as 30-day mortality, were constant.
Conclusion: The incidence of and mortality from penetrating trauma has not been rising in Copenhagen during the last eight years.