BACKGROUND: Domestic violence has become increasingly recognized as a public health problem, and was declared a national epidemic by C. Everett Koop in 1992. In the United States, 1 to million women yearly suffer injuries due to domestic violence, and 30% to 50% of female homicides are committed by a present or former partner. The majority of these murder victims had either been seen in emergency rooms for prior domestic violence-related injuries, or had reported these injuries to the police. It is estimated that 50% of all acute injuries and 21% of all injuries in women requiring urgent surgery ar the result of partner abuse. DATA SOURCE: Medline and current literature review. CONCLUSIONS: Health care professionals in the emergency room are an important contact with the victims of domestic violence, and timely identification and intervention can save lives. Overall, upwards of 35% of all emergency room visits by women are the result of domestic violence, whether due to acute injury, problems during pregnancy, or stress-related complaints. Unfortunately, domestic abuse is infrequently disclosed voluntarily by the patient, and often overlooked by the treating physician. Thus, the purpose of this review is to familiarize surgeons with the presentation and management of victims of this hidden epidemic.
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