TY - JOUR PY - 1989// TI - Severity of free-fall injury JO - Injury A1 - Steedman, D. J. SP - 259 EP - 261 VL - 20 IS - 5 N2 - Free-falls frequently result in death in the United Kingdom. The injuries sustained by free-fall victims are often misdiagnosed. The severity of deceleration injuries sustained by 28 free-fall victims, as assessed by the Injury Severity Score, was shown to be related to the height of the fall. A high proportion of visceral injuries resulted when patients fell from a height of 6.1 m or more. It is recommended that patients injured as a result of a fall from such a height should be sent to a major accident centre. Only by appreciating the potential severity of injury sustained by free-fall victims, usually related to the height of the fall, may earlier and more accurate diagnosis be made and appropriate management instituted. LA - SN - 0020-1383 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -