Occurrence of injuries in a defined population.

A 1-year study of all registered accidents was carried out. All patients treated for an injury at the Trondheim University Hospital, Norway, were recorded. This is the only institution in the region treating injuries. Hence, this is a total injury registration in a defined population. The incidence rate was 114 injuries per 1000 inhabitants. Home accidents were the most common type. Accidents occurring at institutions, in traffic areas and at home caused the longest hospitalization. Most of the injuries were minor; 0.4 per cent of the accidents were fatal. Traffic accidents and home accidents were responsible for the highest percentage of fatal accidents. The demand for preventive measures and reduction of accidents has been based on mortality rates in comparable studies. The mortality rate is well reported for most of the civilized world but this does not tell us anything about the morbidity rate due to accidents. By reducing the accidents needing the longest hospitalization, the economic consequences for the national health system would also be decreased.