Abstract
Objectives: The national morbidity and mortality associated with falls from a height is incompletely described. The authors estimated the rates of injury, hospitalization, and mortality due to these falls for subgroups of the U.S. population. Methods: Administrative databases (1995-2000) provided national samples of patients treated for injuries following a fall from a height (ICD-9-CM E-codes E881.0, E881.1, or E882). Inpatient data are from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, and emergency department data are from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. A total of 347,484 (95% confidence interval = 308,417 to 386,551) emergency department presentations occur annually for injuries following a fall. Hospitalized patients older than 75 years of age had a 3.3% case fatality, and 42% were discharged to a skilled nursing facility. For patients older than 55 years of age, 86% of falls were not work related. Conclusions: Ladder and structure falls by elders are a substantial emergency department problem warranting thorough clinical evaluation and injury prevention efforts.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 267-270 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Academic Emergency Medicine |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2005 |
Keywords
- Accidental falls
- Risk assessment
- Wounds and injuries
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine