The Impact of the “Dry Law” on Emergency Orthopedic Care at Andaraí Federal Hospital, Brazil

This study aims to evaluate the direct impacts produced after the implementation of the “Dry Law” ("Lei Seca") on urgent orthopedic care provided in the emergency department of a federal hospital. Data related to the number of urgent orthopedic care in general and those resulting from traffic accidents that occurred in this hospital between March 2008 and March 2010 were evaluated. In these numbers, a 22% decrease in emergency orthopedic care per se and a 31% decrease in those that occurred due to traffic accidents were observed. Although this Law was not initially popular, the results obtained demonstrate the importance of the "Dry Law" (“Lei Seca”) in preventing traffic accidents and reducing the number of victims of these accidents, as well as in promoting health in the State of Rio de Janeiro. It is concluded that the "Dry Law" (“Lei Seca”) contributed decisively to reducing the number of urgent orthopedic patients in the hospital.