a gunshot wound, a single surgery followed by two days intensive care runs $100,000

[nonoyes]

Gun Violence Costs U.S. Health Care System, Taxpayers Billions Each Year

This is typical of trauma centers, especially those in urban areas with more frequent gun violence, said Lynette Scherer, the chief of trauma and emergency medical services at the UC Davis Medical Center in northern California. Staffing costs are high as emergency medical technicians, nurses, radiologists, nurses, physicians, surgeons and others have to be on site 24 hours a day. Facility, equipment and supply costs add to the tab.

For a patient with a gunshot wound, a single surgery followed by two days in the intensive care unit runs about $100,000, she said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/gun-violence-costs-health-care_n_2965248.html


Times how many thousands of patients a year? These are not fatalities, these are survivors of gun shot wounds. So many of them live diminished lives from that day forward. Thankfully, due to our medical technology today, thousands of victims DO survive, but at what real cost in both dollar and quality of life terms ?