A Descriptive Analysis of Location of Older Adult Falls That Resulted in Emergency Department Visits in the United States, 2015

Abstract

Introduction. Falls among older adults (age ≥65) are a common and costly health issue. Knowing where falls occur and whether this location differs by sex and age can inform prevention strategies. Objective. To determine where injurious falls that result in emergency department (ED) visits commonly occur among older adults in the United States, and whether these locations differ by sex and age. Methods. Using 2015 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program data we reviewed narratives for ED patients aged ≥65 who had an unintentional fall as the primary cause of injury. Results. More fall-related ED visits (71.6%) resulted from falls that occurred indoors. A higher percentage of men’s falls occurred outside (38.3%) compared to women’s (28.4%). More fall-related ED visits were due to falls at home (79.2%) compared to falls not at home (20.8%). The most common locations for a fall at home were the bedroom, bathroom, and stairs. Conclusion. The majority of falls resulting in ED visits among older adults occurred indoors and varied by sex and age. Knowing common locations of injurious falls can help older adults and caregivers prioritize home modifications. Understanding sex and age differences related to fall location can be used to develop targeted prevention messages.

Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Reasons for this decrease may be related to a decrease in falls outside of the home, where 21% of older adult falls occur. 21 Falls constituted the largest proportion of injury-related ED visits and are likely a driving factor for the overall decreasing trends in injury-related ED visits.…”

Stair-related falls in the USA: traumatic brain injury and the role of alcohol intoxication

“…Recent research has pointed to stair-related falls as a unique subset of risk for fall-related injury 6 10 12. While prevention of stair related fall injuries among older adults may revolve around coordination and muscle strengthening interventions, lighting and marking of stairs,9 prevention of these injuries among younger age groups, especially if they involve alcohol, will be difficult.…”

“…Falls on staircases contribute significantly to the burden of fall-related injuries, with an annual estimate in excess of 1 million emergency department (ED visits annually in the USA 6. While much of the focus on staircase fall injuries has been on the older adult population,7–9 a few studies have examined younger populations and the role of alcohol use 10–15. Alcohol has been found to be associated with TBI among persons who were injured falling on stairs 10 12 14 15.…”

Influence of socioeconomic factors on discharge disposition following traumatic cervicothoracic spinal cord injury at level I and II trauma centers in the United States

“…While injury and subsequent treatment may have occurred in a region outside of where the patient resides, this is likely a relatively uncommon phenomenon, given that the majority of injuries in our study were caused by motor vehicle accidents or falls, a finding previously documented in the literature [48] . As motor vehicle accidents and falls most commonly occur at home or near home, it is unlikely that many patients in the present study were injured in non-home regions [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] . Finally, the NTDB is a voluntary database prone to missing coding data leading to sampling bias.…”