Geriatric falls. A Population-based study 27,402 injury events in people 65 years and older

• Background:  In rich countries falls are one of the commonest injuries, killing more people than all other injury mechanisms together, incapacitating orders of magnitude more, and are responsible for >70% of all trauma hospital beds.Materials:  All injuries admitted to the emergency department, 1993-2014, Umeå university hospital, Sweden were registered, e.g., mechanism, injury, localization, type, severity score and treatment, 220,014 injury events. Here we look at 27,402 falls in people over 64.Results:  Geriatric fall injuries were 12.5% of all admissions, responsible for 40.7% of all trauma-related hospital days. Fall was the only injury mechanism where women dominated. Between 65-69, falls were 64% of all injuries; for 90+ not less than 93%. With age, severity score increased: between 65 and 69, 10% had score ≥ 3; in 90+, 29% had. Hip fractures increased from 6.2% to 24.4% of all injuries. There was no apparent association between recorded fall height and severity score. Both fractures and soft tissue injuries became more common in the lower extremity, and also more proximal.Conclusions: The changing age/sex patterns in type and localization indicate that extraskeletal factors govern the injury localization/type, not only bone strength. The injury distribution and increasing severity with age, also indicate that not only fall tendency, but also deficient neuromuscular reflexes that distribute the kinetic energy matter; impact can be high even after a fall from standing or less. Therefore, secondary fracture prevention should involve all fall injuries, and also aim at all modifiable risk factors.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Ortopedi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Orthopaedics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

fall injuries

geriatric falls

Orthopaedics

ortopedi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)