Differences in fall-related emergency departments visits with and without an Injury, 2018

Background: Falls, with or without an injury, often affect the health of older adults (65+). Methods: We used the 2018 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to describe older adults' fall-related ED visits. We defined fall-related ED visits as those with a fall external cause of morbidity code and fall-injury related ED visits as those with an injury diagnosis code and a fall external cause of morbidity code. Percentages of fall-related and fall-injury related ED visits were analyzed by select characteristics. Results: Over 86% of fall-related ED visits were fall-injury related. A higher percentage of females (87%) and rural (88%) older adults' fall-related ED visits were fall-injury related compared to males (85%) and urban older adults (86%). A higher percentage of fall-related ED visits without a coded injury (33%) were hospitalized compared to those with a coded injury (29%). Conclusion: The majority of fall -related ED visits included an injury diagnosis. Practical applications: Researchers can consider which method of measuring ED visits related to falls is most appropriate for their study. Limiting fall-related ED visits to only those where an injury diagnosis is also present may underestimate the number of fall-related ED visits but may be appropriate for researchers specifically interested in fall injuries. (c) 2022 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Falls have a significant impact on the health of older adults, with the majority of fall-related emergency department visits resulting in injuries. Females and older adults in rural areas have a higher percentage of fall-related injuries. Emergency department visits without a coded injury are more likely to result in hospitalization compared to visits with a coded injury.