INDIANAPOLIS — Gunshot patients are constantly revolving through hospital doors across Indianapolis.
"Gunshot wounds and gun violence is unrelenting in our community. We read about it everyday," said Dr. Ian Ferries.
Treating patients with gunshot wounds is something trauma doctors and nurses see often across Indianapolis hospitals.
"The thing that makes it tough is when you successful treated someone and you have to help them with after effects of their injury or when in reality we often aren't able to save people and we have to go tell their families that and tell them their loved one is gone," Ferries said.
Ascension doesn't provide the exact number of patients citing medical privacy laws, but trauma surgery physician Dr. Ian Ferries says accidental and violent gunshot wound patients among children and adults is growing.
The numbers are rising and it's not just the number of kids being shot rising, it's the number of everybody.
Riley Hospital for Children treats gunshot wound patients 16 and younger. So far this year, its had 51 of those patients. 36 of those injuries were considered violent. 15 were considered unintentional.
The hospital said it's an increase from last year.
Eskenazi Health said it's numbers are slightly down. At least 350 patients were treated within the first ten months of this year.
Vice President of Medical Affairs for Franciscan Health, Dr. Christopher Doehring with explains the trauma patients face.
"Powerful injuries in the [bones or organs] can lead to major or long term complications and can be a real setup for someone and it's particularly young people.
Those are fortunate to survive and sadly, too many people don't from gunshot wounds. For those that do, it's definitely a long road to recovery for many people," he said.
IMPD said so far this year, there have been around 200 gunshot homicide investigations and more than 500 non fatal shootings.
