Cost of Hand Injuries in Young Children
Author Information
Author(s): Ljungberg Elinor M, Carlsson Katarina Steen, Dahlin Lars B
Primary Institution: Malmö University Hospital
Hypothesis
What are the health-care costs associated with hand and forearm injuries in young children?
Conclusion
The costs per hand injury for children were lower compared to adults, and frequent simple fingertip injuries and rare complex injuries induce high costs for society.
Supporting Evidence
- The annual health-care cost for all injuries decreased from EUR 398,762 in 1996 to EUR 192,624 in 2002-2003.
- Fingertip injuries had low median costs but high total costs due to their frequency.
- Complex injuries caused by machines or rifles had high costs per case despite being less frequent.
Takeaway
This study looked at how much it costs to treat hand injuries in young kids, finding that simple injuries happen a lot and can be expensive for everyone.
Methodology
The study used retrospective and prospective data collection methods to analyze health-care costs and lost productivity related to hand injuries in children.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in data collection due to reliance on hospital records and parental reporting.
Limitations
The study did not include quality of life issues or long-term follow-up data on children with major impairments.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 533 children aged 0-6 years, with 40% girls and 60% boys.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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