title: Trauma aetiology and cost in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the University Hospital of the West Indies.
abstract: Trauma accounted for 37% of 22,311 patients seen in the Accident and Emergency Unit (A&E Unit) at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) during 1996. Thirty-nine per cent of injuries were intentional and 18% were due to motor vehicle accidents. Knives, machetes and rocks accounted for 75% of the injuries compared with 5% for gunshot wounds. Passengers were injured in about 40% of motor vehicle accidents and pedestrians in 19%. The admission rate was 16% and the orthopaedic clinic received 75% of the patients referred to specialist clinics. Victims of motor vehicle accidents made up a greater proportion of admissions (24%) than those of intentional violence (13%). The average cost of caring for each patient in the A&E unit was US$70 resulting in an annual cost of US$578,000.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Anaesthesia and Radiology, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014900:West Indies / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*