Men Over 65 At Higher Risk Of Skull Fractures Than Women: Study
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Eighty-five percent of the head injuries sustained were due to falls, and this trend also was seen across race/ethnicity and mechanism of injury. Both females and males had a similar mean age, 82.8 and 81.1 years, respectively. Results of the study, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, showed that when comparing geriatric males and females, males had a significantly increased incidence of skull fracture secondary to head trauma, due mostly to falls.
This outcome was unexpected, as previous research has indicated females are more susceptible to facial fractures. This trend also was seen across race/ethnicity, though results were only statistically significant for whites. "The high incidence of head injury and subsequent skull fractures due to falls is a cause for concern as our aging population continues living active lifestyles," said Scott M. Alter, M.D., first author, associate professor of emergency medicine, and assistant dean for clinical research, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine.
"As falls cause the greatest number of head injuries and subsequent skull fractures, fall prevention may be an important intervention to consider in reducing morbidity. Although fall prevention education can be addressed in the primary care setting or at assisted living facilities, the emergency department could also represent an opportunity to educate patients and to prevent future death and disability from falls in this population."
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Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7:08 am