What question did this study set out to answer?

To estimate the total expenditures and hospitalizations due to traumatic injuries in the United States during the mid-1980s.

Acute Hospital Costs of Trauma in the United States

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Estimates hospital costs due to trauma in the U.S., indicating the elderly's heavy resource use.

To estimate the total expenditures and hospitalizations due to traumatic injuries in the United States during the mid-1980s.
Analyzed data from the 1984, 1985, and 1986 National Hospital Discharge Surveys (NHDS)
Estimated numbers of hospital episodes and total expenditures for various patient subgroups based on age, sex, body region, and AIS severity
Examined distribution of hospitalizations and costs across different injury severities.
In 1985, 2.1 million individuals were hospitalized due to trauma, costing approximately $11.4 billion.
Adolescents and young adults (ages 15-44) made up nearly half of all discharges and costs, while the elderly accounted for 25% despite being only 12% of the population.
Three-quarters of hospitalizations and half of expenditures were for minor injuries, with only 12% of patients needing trauma center care.

MacKenzie et al. (1990) studied this question.

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