Ohio Injuries: Falls

On average each year, more than 900 Ohioans die and almost 300,000 receive emergency treatment as the result of a fall. Increased efforts to prevent fall-related injuries are necessary as the number of these injuries continues to rise. The following data come from the Injury in Ohio report.*

Health Care Resource Utilization

• From 2005 through 2007, injuries due to falls resulted in an annual average of:
  • 299,616 Emergency Department Visits
  • 83,261 EMS Runs
  • 31,395 Inpatient Hospitalizations
  • 928 Fatalities

• The number of fall-related emergency department visits increased 22.6% from 2005 to 2007
• The annual emergency department visit rate for falls increases dramatically after age 65, reaching 7,770 per 100,000 individuals by age 85 or older
• Nearly 75% of EMS runs due to fall-related injuries included transport to a hospital emergency department
• 51.1% of fall-related EMS runs occurred among adults ages 65 or older
• 65.1% of falls requiring an EMS run occurred in the home

• Females accounted for more EMS runs (58.6%), emergency department visits (55.7%) and inpatient hospitalizations (65.0%) related to falls than males

Hospitalizations

• Fall-related hospitalizations in 2005-2007 accounted for an annual average of:
  • $622 million in hospital charges
  • 135,686 days of hospitalization  
• Mean length of stay was 4.3 days

• Mean hospital charges per patient for falls increased by 20.9% from 2005 to 2007

• Inpatient hospitalizations due to falls increased 25.3% from 2005 to 2007
• Slipping, tripping or stumbling on the same level accounted for 30.1% of fall-related hospitalizations with a recorded cause of injury
• Adults ages 65 years or older accounted for 70.2% of fall-related inpatient hospitalizations, and adults ages 45-64 years accounted for another 17.3%
• Falls, especially among older adults, can result in very serious injuries, as evidenced by 46.5% of inpatients with fall-related injuries being discharged into long-term care facilities

Fatalities

• There were 472 deaths due to falls among males and 456 deaths among females annually
• Adults ages 65 years or older accounted for 80.2% of fall-related deaths

• The incidence of death due to falls increased 13.8% from 2005 to 2007

*Data for this report were obtained from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Hospital Association and the Ohio Department of Health. This research brief is part of a series reporting on leading causes of injury among selected age groups in Ohio.