Evaluation of Trauma Scores, Clinical Outcomes and Hospital Costs of Patients Presenting with Traffic Accidents

Background: Traffic accidents have been a bleeding wound due to developing technology and increasing number of vehicles. Improvement in socio-economic level has led to an increase in number of vehicles and traffic accidents with injury and death increase accordingly. High costs appear by tests and treatments as well as further health problems and loss of labour power in traffic accidents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trauma scores, clinical outcomes and hospital cost of patients presenting to the emergency department with road traffic accidents.

Methods: Patients information; hospital automation system, forensic records and patient files were recorded. Cost information was received in hospital automation system. Hospital costs include examinations and treatments that have been performed since the first visit of the patients. According to the data obtained from the patients files, GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale), AIS(Abbreviated Injury Scale) and ISS(Injury Severity Score) scores of each patient were calculated separately. All variables were tested for conformity to normal distribution, Kolmogorov Smirnov test and compliance with parametric test criteria. The data obtained by the study carried out within the scope of clinical research are statistically nonparametric. For this reason, Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used for statistical evaluation of associated variables according to dependency status. Spearman rank correlation in non-parametric data and Pearson correlation in parametric data were used as correlation methods. The results were evaluated for a significance level of P < .05.

Results: The average cost of traffic accidents was found to be 247.38 Turkish Lira.The average cost of motor vehicle accidents was 246.53 Turkish Lira.The average cost of extra vehicular traffic accident was 235.3 Turkish Lira. Cost average was 265.9 Turkish Lira.The effect of clinical outcomes on the cost was found statistically significant. There was a statistically significant effect of GCS, AIS, ISS trauma scores on the cost. AIS and ISS and the cost was moderately significant and a positive correlation was found.

Conclusion: Frequency of the traffic accidents, higher hospitalization rates and higher medical expenses have made the traffic accidents a significant public health problem economically We believe that community education should be increased in order to reduce traffic accidents in terms of health as well as the national economy.