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Emergency Department Management of the Sexual Assault Victim in the COVID Era: A Model SAFET-I Guideline From San Diego County.
Koenig, Kristi L; Benjamin, Stephanie B; Beÿ, Christian K; Dickinson, Sue; Shores, Michelle.
  • Koenig KL; County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Emergency Medical Services, San Diego, California; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Irvine, Orange, California.
  • Benjamin SB; University of California San Diego Health, San Diego Health, San Diego, California.
  • Beÿ CK; University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
  • Dickinson S; County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Emergency Medical Services, San Diego, California.
  • Shores M; Palomar Heath, Forensic Health Services, Escondido, California.
J Emerg Med ; 59(6): 964-974, 2020 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1065311
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to an increase in intimate partner violence (IPV), posing challenges to health care providers who must protect themselves and others during sexual assault examinations. Victims of sexual assault encountered in prehospital and emergency department (ED) settings have legal as well as medical needs. A series of procedures must be carefully followed to facilitate forensic evidence collection and law enforcement investigation. A literature review detected a paucity of published guidance on the management of sexual assault patients in the ED, and no information specific to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE:

Investigators sought to update the San Diego County sexual assault guidelines, created in collaboration with health care professionals, forensic specialists, and law enforcement, through a consensus iterative review process. An additional objective was to create a SAFET-I Tool for use by frontline providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DISCUSSION:

The authors present a novel SAFET-I Tool that outlines the following five components of effective sexual assault patient care stabilization, alert system activation, forensic evidence consideration, expedited post-assault treatment, and trauma-informed care. This framework can be used as an educational tool and template for agencies interested in developing or adapting existing sexual assault policies.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is a lack of clinical guidance for ED providers that integrates the many aspects of sexual assault patient care, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A SAFET-I Tool is presented to assist emergency health care providers in the treatment and advocacy of sexual assault patients during a period with increasing rates of IPV.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Sex Offenses / Guidelines as Topic / Forensic Medicine Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Reviews Topics: Long Covid Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Emerg Med Journal subject: Emergency Medicine Year: 2020 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Sex Offenses / Guidelines as Topic / Forensic Medicine Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Reviews Topics: Long Covid Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Emerg Med Journal subject: Emergency Medicine Year: 2020 Document Type: Article