Characteristics of intentional fall injuries in the ED.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to examine the characteristics of

intentional fall injuries and the factors associated with their prognosis.

METHODS: The study included 8992 patients with unintentional falls from a height

(nonintentional group) and 144 patients with intentional falls from a height

(intentional group). General and clinical characteristics were compared between

the 2 groups. Intentional fall cases were divided into severe and nonsevere

groups, and the factors associated with severe injury were evaluated by comparing

these groups. RESULTS: The most common age group was younger than 14 years in the

nonintentional group and between 30 and 44 years old in the intentional group.

For the nonintentional group, 65% of the patients were male, and 48% were male in

the intentional group. Fall heights of more than 4 m were most common in the

intentional group. Discharge was the most common result in the nonintentional

group; however, death before arrival at the emergency department (ED) or during

ED treatment occurred in 54.9% of patients in the intentional group. In the

severe injury group within the intentional group, patients were older, and the

height of the fall was higher. Factors associated with severe injury in the

intentional group included being a high school graduate rather than a college

graduate and greater fall height. CONCLUSION: The risk of severe injury increased

with fall height in the intentional group, and a high school level of education

rather than a college level of education was associated with more severe injury.