Chatha, H., Sammy, I.A. orcid.org/0000-0003-4265-5569, Hickey, M. et al. (2 more authors) (2018) Falling down a flight of stairs: the impact of age and intoxication on injury pattern and severity. Trauma, 20 (3). pp. 169-174. ISSN 1460-4086
Abstract
Background
Falling down a flight of stairs is a common injury mechanism in major trauma patients, but little research has been undertaken into the impact of age and alcohol intoxication on the injury patterns of these patients.
Objectives
The objective of this study was to compare the impact of age and alcohol intoxication on injury pattern and severity in patients who fell down a flight of stairs.
Methods
This was a retrospective observational study of prospectively collected trauma registry data from a major trauma centre in the United Kingdom comparing older and younger adult patients admitted to the Emergency Department following a fall down a flight of stairs between July 2012 and March 2015.
Results
Older patients were more likely to suffer injuries to all body regions, and sustained more severe injuries to the spine (AIS 2[IQR 2 – 3] vs AIS 2 [IQR 2 – 2] p<0.001). They were also more likely to suffer polytrauma (23.6% vs 10.6%; p<0.001). Intoxicated patients were more likely to suffer injuries to the head and neck (42.9% vs 30.5%; p=0.006) and were significantly younger than sober patients (53 years vs 69 years; p<0.001).
Conclusion
Older patients who fall down a flight of stairs are significantly different from their younger counterparts, with a different injury pattern and a greater likelihood of polytrauma. In addition, alcohol intoxication also affects injury pattern in people who have fallen down a flight of stairs, increasing the risk of traumatic brain injury. Both age and intoxication should be considered when managing these patients.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Editors: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). |
Keywords: | Multiple trauma; wounds and injuries; accidental falls; aged; emergency department; emergency services; hospital |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Health and Related Research (Sheffield) > ScHARR - Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 05 Jul 2017 09:57 |
Last Modified: | 27 Oct 2023 10:23 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/1460408617720948 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:118236 |