Vinicius Costa Souza

Analysis of the Epidemiological Profile of Patients Treated in the OrthopedicWard of a Referral Hospital for Trauma Care in Belem, Para â Brazil

Introduction: Trauma is a very important social and economic problem. It has become a worldwide public health problem, due to its high rates of morbidity and mortality and it is frequently associated to functional impairment. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the epidemiological profile of patients treated in the orthopedic ward of the Metropolitano Hospital situated in Ananindeua. Materials and Methods: Descriptive and analytical study. A standardized data collection form was used for epidemiological data abstraction from the medical record of all injured patients in the orthopedic ward of the Metropolitano Hospital from August to December of 2012. Results: The majority of injured patients were male adults. Road traffic injuries, involving motorcycles were the most common mechanism of injury, representing 30.8% of the patients. As to the female gender, the most common mechanism of injury were falls, representing 69.8% of the patients. The lower limbs were the most common location of injuries which required surgery, representing 52.3% of all accidents. Age group affected by trauma injuries (adults) is productive economically, which shows that these trauma injuries are responsible for a large portion of employees on leave and temporary or permanent loss of productive capacity. Conclusion: Male young adults were shown as the main trauma affected patients. On the other hand, the most common females affected were elderly women, representing 33.3% of the patients, which have falls as the main mechanism of injury. It is also important to point out the importance of the joint performance of health professionals and other public sectors to stimulate preventive campaigns.