Doctors start acting in response to NRA, calling for more research on weapons



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The quarrel between the National Rifle Association and the medical community continues to rage, the latest coming from doctors who have published an editorial saying that they do not agree with the NRA, published in Monday's Annals of Internal Medicine.

In a tweet this month, the The NRA told the doctors "anti-arms" "Staying in their Hall" after the Annals of Internal Medicine published a series of research papers on firearm-related injuries and deaths, including new recommendations to reduce gun violence .

The NRA, which marked 147 years As an active organization over the weekend, writes in the tweet: "Someone should tell the anti-gun doctors who are so important to stay in their hallway. Half of Annals of Internal Medicine's articles insist on gun control. The most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted with anyone other than themselves. "

The tweet was posted several hours before an armed man opened fire at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, killing 12 people before turning against him.

Click here for our full coverage of the deadly shootings at Thousand Oaks bars

The tweet has collected more than 3,000 "likes" and over 22,000 comments – a few in favor of the Firearms Rights Groupbut most of them are pushing back.

Several tweets from doctors, including trauma surgeons and emergency physicians, included pictures illustrating what operation tables or hospital scrubs might look like after a gore injury after a gunshot wound.

In response to the NRA, Dr. Sue Bornstein, Chair of the Health and Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians, co-authored Monday's new editorial with Christine Laine, editor-in-chief of the journal. , and Dr. Dahuichman, Executive Director. .

In addition to dealing with firearm injuries and their long-term consequences, "we need rigorous research to better understand the crisis, test solutions, and know how to better apply and preserve those that work", did they write.

"To this day, the lack of funding and the concern of researchers to worry about the fact that everything related to firearms could jeopardize their career in research has prevented them from studying." 39 important questions that can help reduce the number of injuries caused by firearms. This must be corrected, "they wrote.

CNN contacted ANR for an answer to the editorial, but the organization did not answer.

Click here for our full coverage of the shooting of the synagogue of the Tree of Life

The editorial states that Annals of Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians are collaborating with the American Association for the Reduction of Firearm Injuries, a non-profit organization, to advance research on violence. army.

"In addition to raising funds to support research, AFFIRM aims to sponsor the development of evidence-based practice recommendations and the education and training needed to implement them," wrote Taichman, Bornstein and Wool.

"As health professionals and scientists, physicians have a responsibility to look for answers to health and safety questions. And we will not be silenced by using what we learn to better care for our patients, "they wrote. "Those who seek to silence progress in the search for solutions to the firearms-related injury crisis are taking a path that literally leads to a dead end. We will stay on our path and continue to move forward. "

Armed violence has also continued to be a topic of major interest among researchers outside the medical community. On Friday, a panel of experts on gun violence presented its latest findings and what the public can learn from them at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Atlanta.

Daniel Webster, professor and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, was among the speakers.

"Physicians, especially trauma specialists and emergency physicians, are seeing the end result of gun violence, and it's a very brutal and powerful thing. What is obvious to many of them is that these injuries are so devastating that prevention is especially important, "said Webster.

Related: Trauma surgeon visits Sentara Norfolk to share lessons learned at Las Vegas massacre

For example, "About 60% of people who die in the United States commit suicide, and doctors could play a bigger role in suicide than in homicide. They encounter depressed patients, likely to have substance abuse problems, mental health issues, etc., which could increase their risk of suicide, "Webster said.

"Although they want the best possible health care and medical care to protect them, to keep them alive, one of the most important is the removal of firearms," ​​he said. "Discussing with patients and their families the safe removal and storage of firearms is therefore very important – and it's a very important role for doctors, and I'm very happy that many of them they assume it. "

Jack McDevitt, professor and director of the Northeastern University Institute of Race and Justice, also said that doctors can help reduce gun and crime violence by simply talking to their patients.

"What we know in the criminology literature, for example, is that when people stop committing a crime, they stop committing it, usually because of someone who is important in their lives. But it's not always the same person – it can be a spouse; it could be a coach; it could be an employer; it could be a teacher – who has had an influence on them, "said McDevitt.

"So, have another respected doctor's voice that says," You know, maybe you want to temporarily take the gun out of the house? Or "Maybe you want to think differently? Or "Here's a program you might want to go to. "I think there's nothing wrong with that," he says. "They can not compel anyone to do anything, but they can sometimes situate it as part of" I'm worried about your health, "as opposed to" I want to remove your guns. "

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