Review of Fall Injuries and Related Factors in Patients Admitted to a Trauma Referral Hospital in Tehran, Iran

Background: Falls are important causes of mortality and morbidity in urban areas and put a high burden on societies. We investigated patterns of fall traumas and related factors in a referral trauma hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this routine-data-based study, all documents of fall cases in Hazrate-Rasool hospital, Tehran, Iran, during October 2014-2015 were investigated. Information on demographic factors of patients, fall conditions and outcomes were collected. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5. The statistically significant level was considered ? 0.05. Results: Of the 307 cases, 70% were male. Median (interquartile range) age was 32 (22-51) years. Of cases, 91% were undergraduates. The mortality rate was 2.6%. Suicide attempts reported in 17 (5.5%) cases and only 2 (12%) of them were successful. Injured body organs in order of frequency were extremities, head and neck, thorax, vertebras, abdomen and pelvis. Outcome (in terms of injured body organs) was related to age and gender of patients alongside with height and reason of the fall. Falls at workplaces, in suicide attempts and among males happened for significantly higher distances. High distance falls and low GCS at admission were related to higher mortality. Majority of falls on a same level happened at home among old women. Conclusion: In our region, fall was a problem of people with low socioeconomic status. Our mortality rate is similar to the highest mortality rates in the world. Personal characteristics along with trauma-related factors are both important in the outcomes of fall cases. Safety equipment at high risk jobs is essential to prevent falls.