Stats and ladders: Injury risk and outcomes following falls from ladders

Abstract

Fatal lower level falls commonly result from ladder fall injuries (LFIs), an often-avoidable injury. We hypothesized that older patients’ injury severity differs from younger patients falling from the same mechanism with fall height determining overall morbidity. A retrospective review was completed of all traumatic LFIs during a 6-year period resulting in 178 patients. The mean LFI height was 10.9 ± 6.0 feet, the majority being male (87%), with a mean age of 50.7 ± 16.6 years. The mean ISS was 7.7 ± 7.0 (range, 1–38), 23.6% sustaining > 1 injury. Age inversely correlated with the mean LFI height with patients ≥66 years falling from significantly lower heights (12.3 ft For age group 18–45 y; 10.4 ft vs 9.0 ft (p = 0.003) and having longer LOS (7.3 vs 3.8 days, P = 0.011). No difference in ventilator requirement/days, blood product requirements, or mortality among age groups was observed. Geriatric patients sustain similar injury patterns at lower height levels compared to all ages. Injury prevention programs are necessary to reduce the incidence of a commonly preventable injury.