Abstract
BackgroundWe aimed to analyse the frequency and patterns of fall-related injuries presenting to the emergency departments (EDs) across Pakistan.MethodsPakistan National Emergency Departments surveillance system collected data from November 2010 to March 2011 on a 24/7 basis using a standardized tool in seven major EDs (five public and two private hospitals) in six major cities of Pakistan. For all patients presenting with fall-related injuries, we analysed data by intent with focus on unintentional falls. Simple frequencies were run for basic patient demographics, mechanism of falls, outcomes of fall injuries, mode of arrival to ED, investigations, and procedures with outcomes.ResultsThere were 3335 fall-related injuries. In cases where intent was available, two-thirds (n = 1186, 65.3%) of fall injuries were unintentional. Among unintentional fall patients presenting to EDs, the majority (76.9%) were males and between 15-44 years of age (69%). The majority of the unintentional falls (n = 671, 56.6%) were due to slipping, followed by fall from height (n = 338, 28.5%). About two-thirds (n = 675, 66.6%) of fall injuries involved extremities, followed by head/neck (n = 257, 25.4%) and face (n = 99, 9.8%). Most of the patients were discharged from the hospital (n = 1059, 89.3%). There were 17 (1.3%) deaths among unintentional fall cases.ConclusionFalls are an important cause of injury-related visits to EDs in Pakistan. Most of the fall injury patients were men and in a productive age group. Fall injuries pose a burden on the healthcare system, especially emergency services, and future studies should therefore focus on safety measures at home and in workplaces to reduce this burden.
Highlights
We aimed to analyse the frequency and patterns of fall-related injuries presenting to the emergency departments (EDs) across Pakistan
Fall injuries are commonly reported in older age groups, regional studies have shown that younger populations (15-49 years), have been identified as the most susceptible group affected by fall-related injuries, with males twice as much affected compared to females [4,5,6,7,8]
The information related to intent of injury was available for 54.4% (n = 1815) of these fall injury patients
Summary
We aimed to analyse the frequency and patterns of fall-related injuries presenting to the emergency departments (EDs) across Pakistan. Mortality due to falls in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is reported as 2.9 per 100,000 population which is the highest among all World Health Organization regions [2].Taking into consideration the morbidity associated with injuries, falls account for 12.2% of the injury-related. Fall injuries are commonly reported in older age groups, regional studies have shown that younger populations (15-49 years), have been identified as the most susceptible group affected by fall-related injuries, with males twice as much affected compared to females [4,5,6,7,8]. A recent study from Malaysia reported reduced functionality and increased mortality one year after a fall injury in elderly patients who presented to EDs after sustaining a fall [13]
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