Falls Cause More Than Broken Hips
Fall-induced traumatic brain injuries caused almost 8,000 deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005 among Americans 65 and older, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the June issue of the Journal of Safety Research.
In 2005, TBIs were responsible for 50 percent of unintentional fall deaths and 8 percent of nonfatal fall-related hospitalizations among older adults.
"Most people think older adults may only break their hip when they fall, but our research shows that traumatic brain injuries can also be a serious consequence," Dr. Ileana Arias, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a press release.
This study analyzed 2005 data from the National Center for Health Statistics' National Vital Statistics System and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Nationwide Inpatient Sample.