ABSTRACT
Trauma—the fourth most costly disease in the United States—disproportionately affects minority Americans. Public health policy with initiatives directed at lowering morbidity and mortality from both blunt and penetrating trauma should be sensitive to patterns displayed by Hispanic Americans. The mechanism of injury—blunt vs. penetrating—was substantially different for minority Americans. Traditionally, it has been believed that urban minority populations suffer more commonly from penetrating trauma. Since minorities are concentrated in cities, it is assumed that minority individuals suffer predominantly from penetrating trauma. Few data on the dynamics of trauma for Hispanics are available, but there has been some study of trauma rates for Hispanics in New Mexico. Trauma is a costly disease to the nation. A number of studies have demonstrated that young males tend to incur the greatest expense from this disease. The US trauma community and health care delivery systems will need focused efforts to further address the dynamics of trauma for Hispanics.
