OBJECTIVETo study the trends in the distribution and change of total injuries were explored during 1997 - 2001. To provide scientific bases in setting up priorities and improving safety standards.

METHODSTo collect and analyze the data about all inpatients of injuries attending hospital and hospitalization at 322 hospitals between 1997 and 2001 in Guangdong, China. The main outcome measures included external causes, medical consequences, mortality, length of hospital stay, and costs.

RESULTSRate of all-injury hospitalization increased yearly, from 1997 to 2001. The ratio of inpatient case-fatality declined over a 5-year period, with the total case-fatality rate of 1.64%. The inpatients were mainly caused by motor vehicle accident, unintentional falls, punctured and cut by machine, hurt by others and homicide. The constituent ratio of deaths among patients caused by motor vehicle accident was accounted for 56.13% among the total deaths, which occupied the first place. Despite the fact that the mean length of stay declined by 3.58% for the hospitalized patients over a 5 year period, and by 2.20% for the healed patients, costs increased by 3.89% for the hospitalized patients and by 4.71% for the healed patients with an average costs per patient per day increased by 7.33%.

CONCLUSIONThe all-injury hospitalization rate had a trend of increase from 1997 to 2001, but the ratio of inpatient case-fatality declined over the 5-year period, and the direct medical cost also had a trend of increase.