Increasing incidence of stab wounds.

During the four-year period 1978-1981 74 patients were hospitalized due to stab wounds obtained in criminal trauma. 84% of the patients were submitted to different kinds of surgery. The incidence of stab wounded patients increased each year during the period studied and was doubled the last year as compared to the first year. During the last two years of the study all patients admitted to the emergency unit with stab wounds were registered. Almost 50% of the patients had injuries of a magnitude which did not allow treatment on an out-patient basis. This study showed an increasing trend in the incidence of patients with stab wounds and a need of large resources in the care of these patients.