Missed injuries in an orthopaedic department

In a prospective study lasting 6 months, all missed injuries in patients visiting the casualty department or admitted to the orthopaedic department of Aarhus Amtssygehus were registered and analysed. A total of 15,806 patients attended the casualty department and 783 patients were admitted to the orthopaedic department. Eighty-four injuries were missed in 83 patients in the casualty department, making a missed injury rate of 0.5 per cent. Twenty-three injuries were missed in 17 patients in the orthopaedic department making a missed injury rate of 2.2 per cent. Re-examination of all patients and matching radiographs reduced the number of missed injuries significantly.