Factors associated with severity and health damage of injuries caused by less-lethal weapons

Relevance. Less-lethal weapons (LLW) are used by civilians for self-defense with no intention to cause fatal injuries. With increased weapon ownership among civilians, firearms are more often used in interpersonal conflict settings causing higher incidence of firearm injuries. Therefore, identification of factors associated with severity of LLW-caused injuries is essential for optimized allocation of healthcare resources and efficient medical response. The study objective is to determine the factors associated with severity of LLW-caused injuries in the Arctic zone of the Arkhangelsk region. Methods. Medical records from 248 patients were selected for clinical and statistical analysis; all patients received treatment in hospitals of Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk (Arctic zone of the Arkhangelsk Oblast) for LLW-caused injuries between 2005 and 2022. Factors affecting the injury severity were identified using ordinal logistic regression to estimate the risk of injury severity and predict treatment outcomes. Results and discussion. Patients with multiple LLW wounds (≥3) and severe gunshot wounds (according to the wound severity scale developed by the Battlefield Surgery Department of the Kirov Military Medical Academy) required longer hospital stay with a higher risk of severe health damage. Patients admitted in critical condition were characterized by longer treatment timespan and worse health outcomes compared to patients presented with severe injuries. Conclusion. The study results can be used to predict health damage severity in LLW-caused injuries to facilitate the decision-making and allocation of resources for healthcare professionals.