A new Medscape report shows there is less violence in states with tighter gun controls, which could have an impact on healthcare providers.
There were 2,583 gun-related hospitalizations for trauma in 44 states in 2011, according to the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, and the firearm-related injury rate was 30 percent lower in the 10 states with strictest gun regulations. Among the 34 states with the laxest laws, the overall cost of firearm-related injuries was more than $200 million. Around 1,129 potential life-years were lost.
There was also a difference in the mortality rate among firearm-related injuries. The states with gun control had 8.1 percent mortality rate, while states without gun control had 12.2 percent mortality rate. The length of stay at a hospital for injured patients was slightly longer in states with gun control — around 4.2 days — than in states without it, at 3.9 days.