NYMC Faculty Publications
Females Fall More From Heights but Males Survive Less Among a Geriatric Population: Insights From an American Level 1 Trauma Center
DOI
10.1186/s12877-019-1252-6
Journal Title
BMC Geriatrics
First Page
238
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
August 2019
Department
Surgery
Keywords
Fall from height, Geriatrics, Injury severity, Mechanism of injury, Trauma in elderly
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Approximately one third of subjects >/=65 year old and half of subjects >/=80 years old sustain a fall injury each year. We aimed to study the outcomes of fall from a height (FFH) among older adults. We hypothesized that in an elderly population, fall-related injury and mortality are the same in both genders. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted between January 2012 and December 2016 in patients who sustained fall injury at age of at least 60 years and were admitted into a Level 1 Trauma center. Patients were divided into 3 groups: Gp-I: 60-69, Gp-II: 70-79 and Gp-III: >/=80 years old. Data were analyzed and compared using Chi-square, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and logistic regression analysis tests. RESULTS: Forty-three percent (3665/8528) of adult trauma patients had FFH and 59.5% (2181) were >/= 60 years old and 52% were women. The risk of fall increased with age with an Odd ratio (OR) 1.52 for age 70-79 and an OR 3.40 for >/=80. Females fell 1.2 times more (age-adjusted OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.05-1.45) and 47% of >/=80 years old suffered FFH. Two-thirds of FFH occurred at a height
Recommended Citation
El-Menyar, A., Tilley, E., Al-Thani, H., & Latifi, R. (2019). Females Fall More From Heights but Males Survive Less Among a Geriatric Population: Insights From an American Level 1 Trauma Center. BMC Geriatrics, 19 (1), 238. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1252-6
