Risk factors associated with legal interventions

Table 3 Injury type, severity, and discharge status, body part and type of injury

	Legal intervention^a no. (%)	Assaults^b no. (%)	P-value
Type of injury and body region^c
Fracture	307 (36.7)	334 (40.0)	.17
Head & neck	143 (17.1)	216 (25.8)	<.01
Spine & back	45 (5.4)	25 (3.0)	.01
Torso	118 (14.1)	97 (11.6)	.13
Extremities	183 (21.9)	143 (17.1)	.01
Internal injury	262 (31.3)	310 (37.1)	.01
Head & neck	154 (18.4)	177 (21.2)	.16
Spine & back	33 (4.0)	12 (1.4)	<.01
Torso	169 (20.2)	183 (21.9)	.40
Extremities	91 (10.9)	90 (10.8)	.94
Open wounds	297 (35.5)	443 (51.8)	<.01
Head & neck	157 (18.8)	219 (26.2)	<.01
Spine & back	18 (2.2)	14 (1.7)	.48
Torso	145 (17.3)	193 (23.1)	<.01
Extremities	174 (20.8)	221 (26.4)	<.01
Hospital measures of severity
Mean days in hospital	4.7 (sd = 6.6)	3.7 (sd = 4.1)	.01
Required surgical intervention	224 (26.8)	263 (31.5)	.04
Required mechanical ventilation	42 (5.0)	45 (5.4)	.74
Mean new injury severity score (NISS)	8.3 (sd = 11.9)	8.6 (sd = 9.9)	.57
NISS 16 to 24	66 (7.9)	85 (10.2)	.11
NISS > = 25	68 (8.1)	60 (7.2)	.46
In-hospital fatality (inc. dead on arrival)	48 (5.7)	37 (4.3)	.22
Discharge status
Home	471 (56.3)	672 (80.4)	<.01
Left against medical advice	48 (5.7)	42 (4.9)	.52
Jail	84 (10.1)	5 (0.6)	<.01
Intermediate care facility^d	169 (20.2)	68 (8.1)	<.01

^aInjuries caused through legal intervention actions; ICD-9 Ecodes 970–978
^bInjuries caused through assaults, not including child abuse (E967); ICD-9 Ecodes 960–969
^cPatients were counted more than once if they had multiple injuries to multiple body parts
^dIntermediate care facilities include acute, chronic and rehab care

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