Table 5.
Characteristics and outcomes of patients following fall-related injuries by age-groups between 2010 and 2017 (N = 3994)
| 0–19 yrs. (n = 726, 18.2%) | 20–59 yrs. (n = 2942, 73.7%) | ≥60 yrs. (n = 326, 8.1%) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 543 (74.8) | 2794 (95.0) | 225 (69.0) | 0.001 |
| Location of fall | ||||
| Work | 39 (5.4) | 1896 (64.4) | 47 (11.3) | 0.001 |
| Home | 469 (64.6) | 601 (20.4) | 237 (72.7) | |
| Street/public place | 77 (10.6) | 110 (3.7) | 21 (6.4) | |
| Recreational | 75 (10.3) | 61 (2.1) | 2 (0.6) | |
| Other | 66 (9.1) | 274 (9.3) | 29 (8.9) | |
| Median height of fall (meters) | 1 (IQR 0–2.5) | 3(IQR 1.5–5.0) | 0 (IQR 0–0.5) | 0.001 |
| Head injury | 387 (53.3) | 926 (31.5) | 96 (29.4) | 0.001 |
| Chest injury | 79 (10.9) | 764 (26.0) | 91 (27.9) | 0.001 |
| Spinal injury | 65 (9.0) | 1024 (34.8) | 60 (18.4) | 0.001 |
| Abdominal | 70 (9.6) | 423 (14.4) | 25 (7.7) | 0.001 |
| GCS at ED | 14.3 ± 2.3 | 13.8 ± 3.3 | 14.3 ± 2.4 | 0.001 |
| ISS | 9.4 ± 7.8 | 12.3 ± 8.7 | 11.6 ± 7.1 | 0.001 |
| TRISS | 0.99 ± 0.04 | 0.98 ± 0.06 | 0.98 ± 0.06 | 0.001 |
| RTS | 7.6 ± 0.8 | 7.5 ± 1.1 | 7.6 ± 0.9 | 0.03 |
| Hospital LOS (days) | 2 (IQR 1–5) | 6 (IQR 3–13) | 9 (IQR 4–21) | 0.001 |
| Mortality | 7 (1.0) | 86 (2.9) | 19 (5.8) | 0.001 |
Data expressed as numbers and valid percentages in bracket, or mean ± standard deviation or median with interquartile range (IQR) in bracket
GCS Glasgow coma score, ED Emergency Department, ISS Injury severity score, TRISS Trauma injury severity score, RTS Revised trauma score, LOS Length of stay