The burden of road traffic accident-related trauma to orthopaedic healthcare and resource utilisation at a South African tertiary hospital: a cost analysis study

BACKGROUND: Road traffic accidents (RTAs), the second commonest cause of trauma in South Africa (SA), are on the rise. It is therefore important to study and understand the burden of RTA-related injuries on our orthopaedic healthcare and healthcare in general, in order to devise new prevention strategies to minimise the number of RTAs METHODS: A retrospective analysis of data from orthopaedic trauma intake records was done for patients admitted with RTA-related injuries to the orthopaedic department at a South African tertiary hospital between February 2019 and January 2020. Hospital records and the PAC (picture archiving and communication) system were analysed for radiological studies done. The Uniform Patient Fee Schedule (UPFS) was analysed for individual costing of all variables being studied RESULTS: There were 642 patients seen and managed with RTA-related injuries included in this study. Seventy-one per cent of them were males, with an average age of 35 years. The majority (76.2%) were motor vehicle occupants, whereas 17% were pedestrians. Seventeen per cent of them had polytrauma. Four hundred and sixty-two (76%) patients required some form of surgical intervention and spent an average of 171 minutes in theatre per procedure. Ten per cent of these patients required ICU/HCU admission for an average of 13 days. The total length of hospital stay was an average of 21.8 days. The majority of patients (67%) had some form of orthopaedic implant inserted, with an average of 1.3 implants per patient. The average cost per patient was R92 737.39. The major cost drivers were hospital stay, ICU/HCU stay, implant cost, radiological studies and theatre utilisation, respectively CONCLUSION: Management of RTA-related trauma puts a significant burden on orthopaedic healthcare management and resource utilisation. While we may not be able to directly influence other contributing factors to high costs, reducing the use of temporary external fixators may help reduce the cost of managing RTA victims These findings provide scientific data which will help support the implementation of preventative measures aimed at minimising the numbers of RTAs we see on our roads, thereby minimising the burden this puts on our healthcare system. Level of evidence: Level 3