Evaluation of Patients Aged 65 and Over After Fall

Authors : Ayça ÇALBAY, Zeynep GÖKCAN ÇAKIR, Abdullah Osman KOÇAK

Pages : 41-44

View : 30 | Download : 10

Publication Date : 2019-04-23

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objective:  Patients aged 65 and older are less likely to be injured than youngers and older patients are more likely to have a fatal out come from their injuries. Physical reserves of the elderly patients were changing by the age. Injuries due to these changes adversely affect the outcome and prognosis of the geriatric patients. The main causes of injury in the geriatric population are falling, non-vehicle traffic accidents and burns. The most common causes of emergency services admittin are falls. Method:   Our study is a retrospective descriptive study. We investigate the 65 and over 65 years patients who were admitted to our emergency department with the complaint of fall from their own high on 01.12.2017 to 31.01.2018. Results:  Years of 65 and over of 98 patient were included to study. Patients were classified seven different injury areas as following: head, spinal insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(cervical-thoracal-lomber);, thorax, abdomen, pelvic, upper extremity insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(shoulder, humerus, elbow, radius, ulna, hand); and lower extremity insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(femur, knee, tibia, fibula, foot);. The most affected area of these groups as following in orderly: upper extremity insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(42);, head insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(31);, lower extremity insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(28);, thorax insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(23);, pelvis insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(20); and cervical spine insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(17);. Conclusion:   Falls are the cause of %40 patients death in this age group. Minor mechanisms of injury can produce potentially lethal injury and complications. As with all trauma cases, the physical examination of the patients should be performed carefully in the geriatric group. In extremity traumas signs and complaints of geriatric patients should be the guide of lession.
Keywords : Fall, geriatric trauma, upper extremity injury