THE USE OF HEALTH-SERVICES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF WOUND-INFECTION

This study focuses on the use of health services by patients (n = 1100) with a wound infection that warranted compensation in Finland during 1988-1990, under the no-fault insurance scheme instituted in 1987. The use of services covered the basic hospitalization for the operation and the extra use of outpatient and inpatient services. On average, the initial hospital stay for the basic operation was 9·2 days, but the patients required, on average, 33·2 extra hospital days and 3·9 extra outpatient visits. The infection was detected after discharge in 62% of the cases. The probability of any outpatient visits increased (P< 0.05) if the initial hospital stay was short, if the infection was detected after discharge and if the patient was still receiving compensation. The number of extra visits increased if the operation took place in the public sector, if the infection was detected after discharge, if the patient was still receiving compensation and the older the patient was. The probability of any extra days increased if the operation was non-orthopaedic, if it was non-elective, with more than one preoperative day, if the infection was detected in hospital and if the patient was still receiving compensation. The number of extra days increased if the operation was non-elective, if the infection was detected in hospital, if the patient was still receiving compensation, the older the patient and the longer the initial hospital stay. © 1994.