This chapter divides the discussion of the costs associated with penetrating injuries into five sections. These sections are: the range of costs that result from a penetrating injury; a brief overview of how these costs were estimated; costs per injury, to the extent this is known, and costs variations by cause; national injury incidence; and national injury cost. Seven categories of the range of costs that result from a penetrating injury are provided. These categories are emergency services and transport costs; medical care costs; mental health care costs; productivity losses; administrative costs; and costs of individual and family pain, suffering, and lost quality of life. Nine tables and two pie charts illustrate numerous points made in the chapter including the costs per gunshot or stabbing victim by severity (in November 1992 dollars), costs per victim, including fatalities, and per survivor for penetrating injuries by intent (in November 1992 dollars), and hospital lengths of stay for firearm/gunshot and stabbing victims. References