Citation

Vilardo FJ, Mitter EL. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1979; 23: 290-293.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study measures the impact of motor vehicle trauma on hospital usage in the Central Indiana (Indianapolis) SMSA. Using a specially designed reporting form, hospitals in the region reported on randomly selected emergency room visits by type of injury. Data regarding severity, mode of arrival, disposition, time of day, day of week, were reported. A census of all ambulance runs in the region was conducted to determine the percentage of ambulance runs in response to a motor vehicle accident. From these two data sources the percent of motor vehicle trauma arriving by ambulance admitted to the hospital was calculated. Using data from the Indiana Hospital Association of the mean length of stay for motor vehicle induced trauma, the number of hospital admissions was converted to bed-days. It was estimated that in the Indianapolis SMSA, motor-vehicle trauma accounts for 68,591 bed days per year.