UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: International EM

Title: Falls in the elderly

Keywords: Falls, elderly (PubMed Search)

Posted: 3/29/2017 by Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD (Updated: 4/18/2024)
Click here to contact Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD

·       Falls are the second leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury deaths worldwide.

·       Each year an estimated 424 000 individuals die from falls globally of which over 80% are in low- and middle-income countries.

·       Adults older than 65 suffer the greatest number of fatal falls.

·       37.3 million falls that are severe enough to require medical attention, occur each year.

·       Prevention strategies should emphasize education, training, creating safer environments, prioritizing fall-related research and establishing effective policies to reduce risk.

References

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs344/en/