Objective   To study potential years of life lost(PYLL), direct burden of economy and the potential lost of economy(PLE)of dead cases by injury in Lanzhou.

  Methods   Two central hospitals and one center of emergency selected by stratification cluster sampling were surveyed for dead cases by injury from 1999 to 2001.

  Results   PYLL of every dead case by injury were traffic accident 3315 years.PYLL fall injury 38.5 years, environment accident 38.3 years, homicide 30.3 years, all injury 35.5 years.PYLL per age group were 61.9 years in under 16 years old group, 41.9 years in 16 to under 40 years old group, 1919years in over 40 to under 60 years old group, 4.9 years in over 60 to 70 years old group.PLE per every age groups were two hundred sixty thousand yuan in under 16 years old group; one hundred eighty thousand yuan in over 16 to under 40 years old group; eighthundred sixty-seven thousand yuan in over 40 to under years old group; two hundred one thousand yuan in over 60 to under 70 years old group.All PLE per case was three hundred nine thousand yuan.All economic lost of every injury per case were 146 thousand yuan in traffic accident, 165 thousand yuan in fall injury; 164 thousand yuan in environment accident, 131 thousand yuan in homicide.

  Conclusion   Injury can severely make lost of both health and economic in family and society.