Firearm Screening and Gun Lock Distribution in an Urban, Academic Pediatric Emergency Department.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To examine firearm access and storage practices among parents/guardians of pediatric emergency department (PED) patients, and to determine whether the distribution of gun locks impacts overall storage practices.

Materials and methods

This was a single-center, prospective observational cohort study in an urban, academic PED with ∼50,000 annual patient visits. From October 2021 through April 2022, parents/guardians of pediatric patients received a firearm triage survey and were offered gun locks. Participants who received locks were contacted for a follow-up phone survey one to two months later.

Results

Among the 11,771 parents/guardians who completed the triage survey, 17% reported access to a firearm, 70% reported safe storage methods (firearm locked and un

SUBMITTER: Timm T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12410101 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature