[Costs of medical treatment of injuries in Norway]

The objective of this study was to estimate the cost of medical treatment of injuries in Norway. We analysed aggregated data from two sources, the National Hospital Discharge Register and the National Injury Register, in order to calculate such costs in 1994. Approximately 400,000 injuries treated in hospitals and emergency departments in 1994 cost NOK 1.7 billion in terms of medical treatment. Unintentional injuries accounted for 91%, self-inflicted injuries for 3%, and injuries stemming from violence for 6% of the costs. Injuries requiring hospitalisation accounted for 71% of the total costs. Persons aged 65 years or more constituted 14% of the cases but accounted for 46% of the cost of treating unintentional injuries. Injuries at home or during leisure time accounted for 75% of the costs of the unintentional injuries, while traffic injuries accounted for 7%, occupational injuries for 8%, and 10% of the costs could not be classified. Hip fractures alone accounted for 27% of the total costs. Traffic and occupational injuries remain important targets for prevention, but greater efforts are required to reduce risk of injuries in the home and during leisure time, injuries to elderly people, hip fractures, and injuries that stem from violence.