Subject(s)
Hospitals, Public/statistics & numerical data , Outpatient Clinics, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Services Misuse , Humans , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Referral and Consultation , South AfricaSubject(s)
Hospital Costs , Hospital Departments/economics , Orthopedics/economics , Wounds and Injuries/economics , Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology , Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data , Female , Hospital Departments/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Orthopedics/statistics & numerical data , Retrospective Studies , South Africa/epidemiology , Wounds, Gunshot/surgeryABSTRACT
Trauma in South Africa is indeed a 'malignant epidemic'. Approximately 70 000 South Africans die every year; and a further 3.5 million seek care at health care facilities; as a result of trauma. From 1990 to 2020 there is likely to be a significant increase in the injury-related burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa unless effective prevention measures are put in place. Approximately 9 000 people are killed on South Africa's roads every year; and 33 000 seriously injured. Our road traffic death rate of 11.7 per 100 million kilometres travelled ranks in the top 10 in the world. Nationally; 39of those killed on the road are pedestrians; although this figure has decreased from 47in 1987. This study attempted to outline the epidemiological pattern of trauma and the costs of this trauma over a year in the orthopaedic department at a single secondary-level urban hospital in Durban. For the purposes of this study; trauma was defined as injury arising from assault; gunshot or motor vehicle accidents (MVAs)
Subject(s)
Epidemiology , Workforce , Wounds and InjuriesABSTRACT
Trauma in South Africa is indeed a 'malignant epidemic'. Approximately 70 000 South Africans die every year; and a further 3.5 million seek care at health care facilities; as a result of trauma. From 1990 to 2020 there is likely to be a significant increase in the injury-related burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa unless effective prevention measures are put in place. Approximately 9 000 people are killed on South Africa's roads every year; and 33 000 seriously injured. Our road traffic death rate of 11.7 per 100 million kilometres travelled ranks in the top 10 in the world. Nationally; 39of those killed on the road are pedestrians; although this figure has decreased from 47 in 1987. This study attempted to outline the epidemiological pattern of trauma and the costs of this trauma over a year in the orthopaedic department at a single secondary-level urban hospital in Durban. For the purposes of this study; trauma was defined as injury arising from assault; gunshot or motor vehicle accidents (MVAs)
