Injuries Following Height Versus Ground-Level Falls: A Hospital Registry-Based Study

Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths globally, posing a significant public health issue. This study compared injury patterns between patients who experienced falls from heights and those who had ground-level falls.

This hospital-based registry study analyzed data from Sina Hospital in Tehran, including all patients with fall-related traumas from September 2016 to August 2022. The variables included were demographics, fall mechanisms, length of stay (LOS) in the hospital, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), ICU LOS, mortality, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), injured body regions, and types of injuries.

The study included 1,484 patients, with 50.3% experiencing falls from heights and 49.7% having ground-level falls. Falls from heights were more common among males (80.1%) and individuals aged 18-64 (77.1%). After adjusting for age and gender, it was found that patients who fell from heights had a higher rate of moderate head injuries (1.5% vs. 0.3%), longer hospital stays (8.2 days vs. 6.9 days), and more frequent injuries to the chest, spine, upper extremities, and multiple trauma compared to ground-level fallers. Forearm fractures were more prevalent in patients who fell from heights (21.5% vs. 12.4%), while femur fractures were more common in ground-level fallers (42.6% vs. 13.2%).

There are significant differences in injury patterns between falls from heights and ground-level falls. Falls from heights disproportionately affect males and working-age individuals, leading to a higher incidence of upper extremity injuries, forearm fractures, and multiple traumas. In contrast, ground-level falls are more common among the elderly and result in a higher incidence of lower extremity injuries, particularly femur fractures. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing these differences in injury patterns to inform targeted prevention strategies and improve patient outcomes.