- Fractures. Hip fractures topped the list, followed by fractures in the legs, pelvis, ribs, and spine. Together, these accounted for nearly 40 percent of injury-related hospital stays. The average hospital stay for a major fracture was five to six days, but the rate of death in the hospital from these injuries was quite low – less than two percent.
- Traumatic brain injuries. Severe brain injuries also accounted for a large percentage of injury-related hospital stays. Swelling in the brain was often a major concern. The rate of death in-hospital for these patients is just above ten percent, one of the highest rates for injuries that require hospitalization.
- Medication overdoses or poisoning. Poisoning, especially by medications, is often a cause of hospital stays. These stays average about three days. If medical malpractice results in medication overdose or poisoning, a patient’s stay for another injury might be lengthened.
- Spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries typically make up less than one percent of those staying in the hospital each year. However, the length of stay for a spinal cord injury is much longer than average – about two weeks – and the cost of an average hospitalization for a spinal cord injury is much higher than for other injury types. These injuries are also the least likely to resolve completely.
Personal Injury
Which Injury Types Most Often Result in Hospitalization?
A severe injury sometimes requires a hospital stay, which may or may not involve surgery. According to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the injuries that most often require a hospital stay include: