J Korean Med Sci.
2018 Sep;33(36):e221. 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e221.
Severe Injuries from Low-height Falls in the Elderly Population
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea. stachy1@paran.com
- 2Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
- 3Department of Emergency Medicine, Hallym University School of Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- 4Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
- 5Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea.
- 6Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
- KMID: 2419375
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e221
Abstract
- BACKGROUND
Falls from low-height can cause severe injuries in the elderly population. This study was conducted to determine characteristics of injuries from low-height falls.
METHODS
We retrospectively review surveillance data on injured patients who presented to six emergency departments from January 2011 to December 2015. Study subjects were divided into severe group and non-severe group based on severity of injury. The general and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups and analyzed factors related with severe injuries.
RESULTS
Of 1,190 elderly patients, severe group comprised 82 patients (7%). The severe group was 2 years younger than the non-severe group. In the severe group, 61% was men and 34% in the non-severe group. In the non-severe, the injuries more commonly occurred at residential facilities and indoors than those in the severe group. Paid work during injury occurrence was 15%, and the more patients presented with non-alert consciousness in the severe group. The most common regions of major injury were head and neck in the severe group.
CONCLUSION
Paid work, non-alert consciousness, and major injury to head and neck are relating factors to severe injuries in the elderly population.
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