The effect of age on in-hospital mortality among elderly people who sustained fall-related traumatic brain injuries at home: A retrospective study of a multicenter emergency department-based injury surveillance database.

BACKGROUND

People older than 65 years tend to have traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) more frequently and have a higher mortality rate after TBI than younger individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of age on in-hospital mortality among patients who had fall-related TBIs at home, emphasizing the effect of specific locations in the house on the outcome.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Emergency Department-based Injury In-Depth Surveillance (EDIIS) database in South Korea. Patients aged 65 years or older with a slip or fall injury, accidental injury at home, and no major diagnosis other than TBI were included. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Subgroup analysis was conducted to determine the effect of locations on the relationship between age and in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

Of the 2,571,442 patients in the EDIIS database, 9,747 were included in this study. The most common injury location was room or bedroom (29.1%), followed by living room or kitchen (23.0%), bathroom (20.2%), stairs (15.8%), and outdoor spaces of the house (11.9%). There was a significant association between increased in-hospital mortality and oldest old age. The stairs or outdoor spaces of the house was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality compared to rooms inside the house. The oldest age group showed a higher association with in-hospital mortality than the young-old group, especially in the bathroom, stairs, and outdoor spaces of the house.

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly individuals over the age of 85 are the most vulnerable to fall-related TBI mortality at home. A fall prevention strategy for the oldest-old is needed, especially for the bathroom, stairs, and the ancillary space outside the house.