Evaluation of Clinical Features and Cost of Foot and Ankle Traumas in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Objectives: Foot and ankle injuries are among the most common injuries in trauma patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients who applied to the emergency department with foot and ankle traumas and the healthcare costs in these patients. Materials and Methods: Adult patients aged 18 years and over, who applied to the emergency department of a university hospital due to foot and ankle trauma, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients’ age, gender, trauma mechanism, presence of bone fracture, fracture location, fracture type, treatment method, and in-hospital cost were examined. Comparisons of variables between the groups were performed with the chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis, and the Mann-Whitney test. Statistically, p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 523 patients were analyzed in the study, and 55.4% (n=290) of them were male. The most common trauma mechanism in the patients was ground-level fall (68.8%). It was observed that 16.1% of the patients had bone fractures and the most common fracture location was the phalanges (36.9%). The average cost per patient was found to be 123.22±505.114 Turkish Liras (TL) and the highest cost was in the patients who underwent surgical treatment (2172.11±1767,376 TL). Conclusion: Health care expenses due to foot and ankle traumas constitute an important economic burden considering that the average cost per patient in this study was 123.22 TL and indirect financial effects. Protective measures should be taken against falls and other injury mechanisms in order to reduce health care costs related to foot and ankle traumas.

Keywords

• Emergency Medicine
• Ankle Fractures
• Foot Injury
• Healthcare Costs

Acil Serviste Ayak ve Ayak Bileği Travmalarının Klinik Özelliklerinin ve Maliyetinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Ayak ve ayak bileği yaralanmaları travma hastalarında en sık görülen yaralanmalar arasındadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, acil servise ayak ve ayak bileği yaralanması nedeniyle başvuran hastaların klinik özelliklerini ve bu hastalardaki sağlık bakım giderlerini incelemektir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bir üniversite hastanesi acil servisine ayak ve ayak bileği travması nedeniyle başvuran, 18 yaş ve üzeri erişkin hastalar geriye dönük olarak incelendi. Hastaların yaşı, cinsiyeti, travma mekanizması, kemik kırığı varlığı, kırık bölgesi, kırık tipi, uygulanan tedavi yöntemi ve hastane içi maliyeti incelendi. Değişkenlerin gruplar arasında karşılaştırmaları ki-kare testi, Kruskal-Wallis ve Mann-Whitney testleri ile yapıldı. İstatistiksel olarak p<0,05 değeri anlamlı kabul edildi. Bulgular: Çalışmada 523 hastanın verileri incelendi ve hastaların %55,4’ü (n=290) erkekti. Hastalarda en sık görülen travma mekanizması düşme (%68,8) olarak saptandı. Hastaların %16,1’inde kemik kırığı olduğu ve en sık kırık bölgesinin falankslar (%36,9) olduğu görüldü. Hasta başına düşen ortalama maliyet 123,22±505,114 Türk Lirası (TL) idi ve en yüksek maliyetin cerrahi tedavi uygulanan hastalarda (2172,11±1767,376 TL) olduğu saptandı. Sonuç: Bu çalışmada hasta başına ortalama maliyetin 123,22 TL olduğu ve dolaylı mali etkilenmeler de dikkate alındığında ayak ve ayak bileği travmalarına bağlı sağlık bakım giderlerinin ekonomik açıdan önemli bir yük oluşturduğu söylenebilir. Ayak ve ayak bileği travmas

Keywords

• Acil Tıp
• Ayak Bileği Kırıkları
• Ayak Yaralanmaları
• Sağlık Bakım Maliyeti

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