title: The hospital resource utilization associated with osteoporotic hip fractures in Kermanshah, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hip fracture is the most serious complication of osteoporosis and imposes a significant financial burden on countries' economy. This study aimed to assess the hospitalization costs and length of stay associated with osteoporosis hip fractures and identify the major cost components in a referral hospital in Kermanshah city, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, from May 21 2007 to May 21 2008, all patients with osteoporotic hip fracture admitted to a referral hospital for operation were recruited as the study sample. For each patient, information such as age, gender, length of stay (LOS) in hospital and intensive care unit (ICU), medical and diagnostic procedures and cost of surgery and implant were collected both through interview with the patient or a family member and the patients' hospital records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 103 patients (56 men and 47 women) were studied. The average hospital length of stay (LOS) for the patients was 9.7 days, ranging from 5 to 38 days. The average total hospitalization costs was 7,208,588 IRR (US$774). The main components of the costs were ward stay (16.3%), operative (54.6%), implant (26%) and medical and diagnostic procedures (3.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study demonstrate that the hospital resource burden associated with osteoporotic hip fractures in Iran is substantial and expected to rise with the projected increase of life expectancy and the number of elderly in Iran. Estimating the economic burden of osteoporotic hip fractures provide information that can be of importance in the planning and design of preventive strategies.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeb
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. Email: beiran_r@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mandana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beyranvand
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Basiri
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haghparast-Bidgoli
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors