Healthcare Utilization and Expenditures for Nonfatal Firearm Injuries of Children

Nonfatal firearm injuries of children add a substantial burden to the health care system in addition to sometimes tragic outcomes for the families and the children. Nonfatal firearm injuries are largely preventable. Estimates of the social and economic costs associated with nonfatal firearm injuries underestimate the total on individuals and systems of care since these estimates do not account for time lost from school, from employment, trauma recidivism, or the potential impact on future opportunities or life choices of the child or family. 

A study of children treated in emergency departments and inpatient facilities during 2010–2016 calculated the numbers of encounters and costs one year prior and one year after a nonfatal firearm-related injury (Pulcini et al., 2021). A total of 1,821 children had intentional (10%), self-inflicted (1%), unintentional (55%), and undetermined (33%) firearm-related injuries. Costs of health expenditures increased by $16.5 million, $9,084 per patient.

For family advocacy programs and medical providers, it is noteworthy that 10% of firearm-related injuries were intentional. However, the research did not report how many injuries were inflicted by family members or from an assault outside the family.