Citation

Bandaranayake D, Salmond C, Kljakovic M, Borman B. N. Zeal. Med. J. 1990; 103(901): 528-531.

Affiliation

Department of Community Health, Wellington School of Medicine.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, New Zealand Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2243639

Abstract

A prospective descriptive study of domestic unintentional injuries attending accident and emergency (A & E) departments in the Wellington region is presented. In a three month period there were 2207 such attendances. There was no difference in the proportion of males and females seen. A disproportionate number of the very young (under five years of age) and the elderly (65 years and over) attended A & E departments for these injuries. Approximately one-quarter of the attendances were for cuts or lacerations (26.6%) and one-fifth were for fractures (18.0%). Crude estimates of distance indicate that, on average, people travel greater distances for fractures than for other injuries. General practitioners referred one-tenth (10.6%) of all the attendances. Outcomes from the A & E attendances were: 70.4% were discharged, 7.7% were admitted to hospital, 14.6% were referred to outpatient clinics, and 7.2% were referred back to their general practitioners. There were no deaths in A & E departments.

Language: en