Spinal fracture; necessity of implementation of fall prevention program in home

[ Seyyed Mohammad Ghodsi ] - Poursina Hospital – Tehran
[ Ali Khaji ] - Poursina Hospital – Tehran
[ Behzad Eftekhar ] - Poursina Hospital – Tehran

خلاصه مقاله:

Spine injuries are potentially dangerous and may cause permanent damage or even death. A clearer understanding of the pattern of spinal fracture (SP) will assist health care providers for planning of prevention protocols and management of patients with spinal fracture. The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of S.P in home where is considered commonly safe for people. Material and methods: During one year of study (from August 23 1999 to September 21
8000 , ( 2000 trauma patients admitted in six general hospitals . The population study included all cases that sustained an injury within a week before presentation to emergency Department (EDS) and were hospitalized for more than 24 hours. Data obtained included patients demographics, operative procedures performed, length of hospital stay and outcome. The injury and mechanism of accidents were grouped based on ICD-9 and statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software (version 10.0 for windows). Results: During one year of study, 203 patients (0.6%) sustained SF. 64 cases out of 203 patients, injured in home. This group included 27(42.2%) male and 37(57.8%) female, with a male/female ratio of 1/1.4. The mean age of our patients was 47.7 + 18.9 (rang, from 7 to 80 years old .(Falling was the main cause of injury in our patients with 92.2% .( 64 / 59 ) Falling out of, from or through building and stairs were the most common kinds of fall with 32.8% and 20.3%, respectively % 54,7 . of patients were housewives. The majority of fractures [70.3%
[( 64 / 45 ) were in lumbar region. Spinal cord injury was detected in (% 4,7 ) 3 patients. 28(43.8%) patients had accompanying injuries. The most commonly associated injury was found to be long-bone fractures .(% 73 ) The mean length of hospital stay was 7.5 + 8.5 days. 2 patients died resulting from severity of injuries. The cause of death in these two patients was spinal cord injury resulting from intentional hanging. Thirteen patients underwent surgical operation for repairing of spinal fracture. Conclusion: Our findings show that falling is the main cause of spinal fracture in home. So, a fall prevention program is necessary in order to reduce the spinal fracture in home. Further prospective study of the incidence and risk factors for falls in home is needed to allow targeted interventions. Keywords: Spinal Fracture, Home, fall, Housewife