Citation

Peek-Asa CL, Yang J, Ramirez MR, Hamann C, Cheng G. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2011; 43(3): 595-600.

Affiliation

University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center, United States; The Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2010.07.019

PMID

21376843

Abstract

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all teenagers, and each year a far greater number of teens are hospitalized with non-fatal injuries. This retrospective cohort study used the National Inpatient Sample data to examine hospitalizations from the years 2002 to 2007 for 15-18-year-old teenagers who had been admitted due to a motor vehicle crash. More than 23,000 teens were hospitalized for motor vehicle-related crash injuries each year, for a total of 139,880 over the 6-year period. Total hospital charges exceeded $1 billion almost every year, with a median hospital charge of more than $25,000. Older teens, boys, those with fractures, internal injuries or intracranial injuries, and Medicaid/Medicare as a payer were associated with higher hospital charges and longer lengths of stay. These high charges and hospitalization periods pose a significant burden on teens, their families, and the health care system.

Language: en