Epidemiology of Trauma in Patients Admitted to an Emergency Ward in Yasuj

Accidents are the most frequent reason for admission to hospitals and the second most common cause of mortality. Accident-related injuries can cause severe financial loss in communities. Understanding the causes and prevalence of accidents is necessary to prevent such losses.

The objective of the present study was to reveal the causes of accidents leading to admission to the emergency ward of Shahid Beheshti hospital, the referral and educational hospital of the Kohkilooyeh and Boyerahmad provinces in Yasuj.

The present research was a cross-sectional study of the information of 583 patients who were admitted to the emergency ward of Shahid Beheshti hospital due to accidents. Data were extracted from the medical records of patients admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital during the calendar year March, 2011 to March, 2012. The data were then analyzed using SPSS 19.

Among the 583 patients admitted to the emergency ward due to accidents, 396 (68%) were male and 187 (32%) were female, with a mean age of 28 years (25 - 55 years). 257 patients (44.1%) were admitted to the emergency ward from 6 pm to 12 pm and Wednesday with 97 cases (17.7%). Only 176 patients (31.2%) used insurance services during hospitalization. The most common causes of accidents leading to admission were traffic accidents (66.4%), falls and collisions (29.06%), and fights (2.17%). The average hospital fee was 630,253 rails.

The findings of the present study show that patients 24 - 44 years of age were the most likely to experience accidents such as traffic accidents, falls, and fights which inflict irreversible damage on communities and families and cause financial and mental suffering due to the loss of man power. Most of these accidents could be prevented by improvements in public training, driver’s education, modification of areas where accidents frequently occur, and enforcement of safety measures.