TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Falls in the elderly: a modern look at an old problem
JO  - American journal of surgery
A1  - Gelbard, Rondi
A1  - Inaba, Kenji
A1  - Okoye, Obi T.
A1  - Morrell, Michael
A1  - Saadi, Zainab
A1  - Lam, Lydia
A1  - Talving, Peep
A1  - Demetriades, Demetrios
SP  - 249
EP  - 253
VL  - 208
IS  - 2
N2  - BACKGROUND: Falls are a leading cause of unintentional injury among adults, especially those over 65 years of age. With increasing longevity and improving access to health care, falls are affecting a more mobile senior citizen population that does not fit the typical profile. We set out to evaluate the current nature of these falls in the elderly. <br><br>METHODS: This is a 2-year retrospective chart review of all falls in patients 65 years or older at an urban Level I trauma center. Demographics, location and height of fall, associated injuries, and outcomes were obtained from chart review. <br><br>RESULTS: There were 400 patients meeting inclusion criteria. The cohort had a mean age of 78.3 ± 8.8 years, 50% were male, and 72.5% had at least 1 comorbidity. Non-ground level falls (Non-GLF) were recorded in 56 patients (14%). These patients suffered a significantly higher injury burden. Non-GLF were associated with significantly higher intensive care unit length of stay (2.6 ± 5.6 vs 4.6 ± 6.7 days, P =.016) and a trend toward higher mortality than GLF. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Falls remain a source of considerable healthcare expenditure, especially among the elderly. Non-GLF account for 14% of cases and are associated with a significantly higher burden of injury and morbidity. Fall prevention strategies should include these active older individuals at risk of high-level falls.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-9610
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2013.12.034
ID  - ref1
ER  -