BACKGROUND Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions in Canadian older adults, accounting for 85 % of injury hospitalizations among older adults aged over 65 years. While many of these injuries can lead to death, the survival rates of fall-related injuries are rarely examined. This surveillance study examined the fall injury hospitalization and survival rates among older...

BACKGROUND Serious fall injury represents a little studied, yet common and potentially preventable, cause of morbidity and mortality among older persons. We determined the frequency of, and risk factors for, experiencing serious fall injury events among older persons in the community. SUBJECTS A representative sample of 1103 community-living persons aged 72 years and older underwent comprehen...

INTRODUCTION Work-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by falls is a catastrophic event that leads to disabilities and high socio-medical costs. This study aimed to measure the magnitude of the preventive effect of safety helmets on clinical outcomes and to compare the effect across different heights of fall. METHODS We collected a nationwide, prospective database of work-related injur...

OBJECTIVES To compare the socio-demographic characteristics and type of injury sustained, the use of hospital resources and rates of hospitalisation by injury type, and survival following fall injuries to older Aboriginal people and non-Indigenous Australian people hospitalised for fall-related injuries. DESIGN Population-based retrospective cohort data linkage study. Setting, participants: N...

OBJECTIVE This report presents national estimates of fall injury episodes for noninstitutionalized U.S. adults aged 65 years and over, by selected characteristics. Circumstances surrounding the fall injury and activity limitations and utilization of health care resulting from the fall injury are also presented. METHODS Combined data from the 2001-2003 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS),...

OBJECTIVES To study whether balance, function, and other health status indicators can predict serious fall related injury in elderly women living at home. METHODS In this prospective study, the authors took a random sample of 307 women aged 75 years and over (mean 80.8 years, response rate 74.5%), living in the community. Serious fall injuries which occurred over a period of during one year w...

BACKGROUND Inpatient falls are common and result in significant patient morbidity. OBJECTIVE To identify predictors of serious injury being found on imaging studies of inpatients evaluated after a fall. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING : An 1171-bed urban academic medical center. PATIENTS All inpatients who fell on thirteen medical and surgical units from January 1 to December 31, 20...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to describe characteristics of middle-age inpatients' (ages 45-64) fallers and their fall and fall injury risk factors. BACKGROUND Middle-age falls were 42-46% of inpatient falls. Studies related to inpatient falls have not targeted this population. METHODS A 439 retrospective chart review was performed. Middle-age fall and injury rates were compared wit...

OBJECTIVE Identify factors that predict fall-related injury in hospitalized adults. DESIGN Retrospective records review. SETTING 435-bed university hospital. PARTICIPANTS Inpatients with reported falls in 2010. RESULTS Medical records were available for 286/293 (98%) of reported falls in 251 patients. 25% (63/286) of falls were associated with injury, 4% (11/286) with serious injury. Co...