Analysis of falls from height that admitted to İnonu Univercity emergency service

Aim: We aimed to survey the demographic characteristics of patients fell from height and determine their effects on mortality and morbidity. Materials and Method: We researched retrospectively the demographic properties of 460 patients who came to the Inonu University Faculty of Medicine Emergency Service between November 2011 and November 2014 because of fall from height. The parameters such as age gender, vital signs, reason of fall, fall height, fall location, fall ground, date, time, lesions' locations, admission and admission department, RTS, CRAMS, AIS, ISS, NISS, TRISS and GKS were written down. Results: In our study, 460 patients were counted, 26(5.7%) patients of them died and 434(94.3%) patients discharged from hospital after recovery. 292(63.5%) of them were male and 198(36.5%) were female. Overall mean of age distribution was 27±24.99, died patients' mean was 55.27±26.46 and surviving patients' mean was 25.07±23.88. The younger patient was 1 year old and the oldest was 88 years old. 92.2% of ceses were unexpected accidental falls, 8.1% were workplace accidents and 1.7% were suicidal falls. 385 patients fell on hard ground and 75 patients on soft ground. Falls mostly were seen (45.2%) between 12.01-18.00 o'clock. More than half of cases(57.4%) occured in the May,June, July, August months. Patients fell from balcony(24.3%) mostly and then stairs(22.8%) secondarily. When we looked height of fall, we determined 1.1-4 meters as highest number of falls and also 10 deaths at the same interval as mostly. Skin and subcutanous tissue was mostly affected body region then head-neck and extremities sequentially. We determined age(0-5 and ≥62 years), fall height(≤1, 4.1-9, >9 meters), fall location(domestic furnitures, construction scaffold, roof, cliff), head-neck injury, spinal injury, lineer skull fracture, subarachnoidal hemorrhage, cervical vertebra fracture, thoracal vertebra fracture, GKS, AIS, ISS, NISS, RTS, TRISS, CRAMS as parameters that affect mortality statistically(p<0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, it was emphasized that the education and security precautions can decrease the mortality and morbidity of falls. Also skill and knowledge of health care professionals is an important factor. Keywords: Emergency service, trauma, falls from height, mortality.