Fernández-Abinader Jose A, González-Colón Karolyn, Feliciano Caleb E, Mosquera-Soler Ana María
Neurosurgery Resident PGY 5, Department of Surgery, Neurosurgery Section, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus.
School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus.
P R Health Sci J. 2017 Dec;36(4):237-239.
Describe the types of traumatic brain injury secondary to falls sustained by the members of an elderly population who received services at the Puerto Rico Medical Center and the demographic profile of that population.
A group of 332 adults (60 years and over) assessed for traumatic brain injury secondary to falls suffered in 2013 were included in the analysis. The cases were retrieved from the computerized database of the Neurosurgery Section. We analyzed information such as age, gender, type of traumatic brain injury, mechanism of injury, and the performance of surgery (if applicable). Descriptive analysis was performed to derive a general profile of elderly adults who presented with traumatic brain injury secondary to falls.
The sample consisted of 332 elderly adults: 73% were men and 27% were women. The mean age was 76.74 (SD=9.95) years: 75.67 (SD=9.78) for men and 79.13 (SD=10.02) for women. The most common traumatic brain injury was subdural hematoma (51%) and the mechanism of injury most prevalent was the groundlevel fall (83%). Other traumatic brain injuries included traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages (14%), cerebral contusions (18%) and epidural hematomas (3%). Of all the cases, 52% had were managed surgically.
The elderly population is growing and the risk of falls increases with advancing age. Recurrent falls are an important cause of morbidity, and mortality rates oscillate from 6 to 18%. Elderly patients have longer rehabilitation times, incur more expenses, and have greater levels of disability. This study provides a platform for future epidemiological studies to help develop strategies for the prevention of traumatic brain injury in older adults.
描述在波多黎各医疗中心接受服务的老年人群因跌倒而导致的创伤性脑损伤类型以及该人群的人口统计学特征。
分析一组于2013年因跌倒导致创伤性脑损伤而接受评估的332名成年人（60岁及以上）。这些病例从神经外科的计算机数据库中检索获得。我们分析了年龄、性别、创伤性脑损伤类型、损伤机制以及手术情况（如适用）等信息。进行描述性分析以得出因跌倒导致创伤性脑损伤的老年成年人的总体概况。
样本包括332名老年人：73%为男性，27%为女性。平均年龄为76.74（标准差 = 9.95）岁，男性为75.67（标准差 = 9.78）岁，女性为79.13（标准差 = 10.02）岁。最常见的创伤性脑损伤是硬膜下血肿（51%），最常见的损伤机制是平地跌倒（83%）。其他创伤性脑损伤包括创伤性蛛网膜下腔出血（14%）、脑挫伤（18%）和硬膜外血肿（3%）。在所有病例中，52%接受了手术治疗。
老年人口正在增长，跌倒风险随着年龄增长而增加。反复跌倒是发病的重要原因，死亡率在6%至18%之间波动。老年患者康复时间更长，费用更高，残疾程度也更高。本研究为未来的流行病学研究提供了一个平台，以帮助制定预防老年人创伤性脑损伤的策略。
