Pattern and cost of physical injury treatment in a rural community

Abstract

The global burden of injuries in 2017 showed that 57.2 million people were affected. The study aimed to assess the patterns of injuries and costs related to the treatment of injuries. Injury in rural areas tends to be under-reported, which hinders estimation of the true prevalence of physical injuries for implementing injury prevention strategies at the community level. A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in the field practice area of a private medical college from May to August 2019. Physical injuries sustained by 1723 individuals over three months were collected and were classified based on ICD-10. Descriptive data were expressed using frequencies and percentages and median (Interquartile Range). Independent T-test, Mann Whitney U test, Chi-square test was used to determine statistical differences between the variables. The total number of injuries recorded was 105(6.9%) among 1723 individuals. The most common injuries were superficial injuries in 77 (70.0%), of which 98(89.1%), of which the upper 55(50.0%) limb was more affected than lower limbs 43(39.1%). The overall 3-month injury rate was 60.94(49.6-72.23) per 1000 persons. The median amount of money spent on the treatment of injuries was INR 225.0(50.0-1000.0).