Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 02.12.1985, Side 102

ENGLISH SUMMARY
A retrospective study of 1882 Icelandic patients with injuries
resulting from road traffic accidents in the Reykjavík area during
1975, is presented with a 5 year follow up of those hospitalized
The material is a one year hospital material including both out-
patients and hospitalized.
The Reykjavík City Hospital region contains about 54 per cent
of the Icelandic population.
This is a study with special reference to epidemiology, short
and long term consequences of injury, hospital load and reliability
of official statistics. The aim of the study is to present facts
which might indicate fields for preventive measures.
It was found that 6,4 per cent of the patients that entered
the hospital during 1975 were people injured in traffic accidents.
Males dominated in all age groups and the predominance was
among younger patients. The age group 15-19 years showed the
highest number of casualties for both sexes, even when compared
with the population in the same age group in the area.
Older persons and younger males received more serious injuries
than others. In the present material only 44,5 per cent of the
injured were unprotected road users. But among fatalities and
seriously injured they were in the majority.
There was a peak of injuries during the late summer months.
However, different catagories of road users showed different
seasonal variations.
The total hospitalization rate was 11,4 per cent and the
hospitalization rate was 19,4 per cent for injured motorcyc1ists,
18,4 per cent for pedestrians, but 8,9 per cent for car occupants,
and 8,4 per cent for cyclists. Of the total material 0,5 per cent
were fatally injured, of whom all were medico - legally autopsied
at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Reykjavík.
Of the total material more than 70 per cent of the patients
arrived outside of ordinary working hours.
The average duration of hospitalization was 18 days (median
7 days), 71 per cent of those hospitalized needed intensive care
for 8 days on the average.
Of those hospitalized 10 per cent also needed rehabilitation
hospitalization, with an average duration of 87 days (medial 52
days).
Five years after the accident of those that were hospitalized
66,9 per cent were painfree during rest, and 56,0 per cent free
from pain altogether. Permanent inability to work was rare.
The official statistics for those included in the material
showed that fatalities were correctly reported. The official
statistics however, underestimated the number of road traffic
injured by about 71 per cent, and gave a distorted picture as
certain groups of road users were more correctly represented than
others.
It is the opinion of the author, that the cost of medical
treatment is only a small part of the economic consepuences of road
traffic accidents. The production loss by temporary and permanent
inability to work and premature death is far greater.
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