Resumen

GUANCHE GARCELL, Humberto et al. Hospitalizations due to traffic accidents in Villa Clara (January-June, 2003). Rev Cubana Cir [online]. 2008, vol.47, n.3. ISSN 0034-7493.

INTRODUCTION. Traffic accidents cause important economic losses in society and some of them are related to the use of health services. In order to describe hospitalizations, a descriptive study of the patients admitted as a result of lesions connected with traffic accidents in the province of Villa Clara from January to June, 2003, was conducted. METHODS. Information about the service where the patient was attended, hospital stay, diagnosis, use of antimicrobial agents and operations performed was obtained from the medical histories. 252 patients that received attention due to traffic accidents were discharged. The patients attended in the surgery, neuorsurgery and orthopedic services (93.2 %) prevailed. The main diagnosis was bone fracture (103 patients, 40.9 %), 24.3 % of the adults required attention at the Intensive Care unit and 21.6 % at the Intemediate Care Unit. Much lower frequencies were observed in children. 74 patients were operated on, mainly by orthopedic surgery. 31.1 % of the patients were administered antimicrobials, specially those who underwent surgery. CONCLUSIONS. The information obtained on the hospitalized patients due to lesions connected with traffic accidents provides a very particular view to evaluate the economic impact of them on the Cuban society. It should be used in health management and in activities that strengthen the program for preventing this health problem in our population.

Palabras clave : Traffic accidents; prevention; alcohol; costs; Cuba.

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